Unspoken Wishes
by Evan Ashling
Summary: Sarah says some words she thought never to speak and ends up at the mercy of a certain king, but things really get difficult when Toby is kidnapped by Jareth's... exgirlfriend?
1. Happily Ever After

**Unspoken Wishes**

**By Robin Cabe**

**Chapter One**

**Happily Ever After**

Sarah stepped out of the pulsating building and smoothed her shirt. Behind her a night club roared with music, dance, and merriment. The black sky flickered a few masked stars in the illuminated sky. Bright lights from all the euro-clubs created a false daytime and projected eerie shadows across the sidewalk.

Inside the club Sarah's former classmates continued their drunk stupor. She had excused herself to go back to the apartment that they had rented, a nice flat with a view of the Mediterranean Sea that was just up the street from the nightlife of Malaga, Spain. Sarah was never much for alcohol and had grown weary of the vague way her friends had become from the smoke and drink, so she left them together with another sensible friend so she could return to the apartment and rest. She had become slightly tipsy from three shots and a few drinks her friends ordered her, and it had made her feel entirely too sleepy. The smoke in the air had sent her head spinning and logged her chest with ash, so the fresh salt breeze felt even more intoxicating.

She stumbled along the uneven sidewalk, looking more drunk than she actually was, and soon came to the lobby of their rented apartment. All around her the nightlife was buzzing and, as she had noticed, smoking. She coughed feebly while passing a smoking couple and wandered to the lifts. She pushed a button illuminating the number eleven and swayed as the floor lifted. She was alone now, and reached into her bra to remove the key to their room along with seven euros and twenty cents. She also had a paper copy of her passport, a rather uncomfortable padding along her breasts. She snickered at the amount of items with which she had lined her bra, and was glad to not have to be constantly watching a purse.

One last ping and the doors slid open. She stumbled down the hall and to the left; no, right, and opened the door to the room. She immediately kicked off her heels and hopped into the shower. Cold water refreshed her and washed the gray soot from her hair. It brought her mind to the rain, and wished silently for blessed storm clouds to break the heat. She didn't like the sun much anyway, and wanted to witness a tropical storm.

Sarah wrapped herself in a fluffy white towel and went to her drawer to find something to wear. The cold water woke her up considerably, so she decided to make some tea and sit on the balcony. Glancing out the window, she realized that a wind had picked up and that the sky was beginning to blot away with clouds. It was still warm, so she pulled on some black silk shorts and a lacy camisole.

In the kitchen, Sarah found the red tea kettle and put some water on to boil. She walked over to the balcony and opened the door. A fierce gust of wind rustled the curtains and shook the tapestry on the wall. She quickly stepped outside and shut the door carefully behind her.

The view was completely romantic. Lights sparkled along the coastline and the lighthouse on the peninsula flicked around in steady circles. Cruise ships lumbered along in the distance, their light adding to the glow of the area. Below, music from several clubs and a casino echoed through the streets. The gentle murmur of traffic on the highway behind the apartments blended with the soft lapping of the waves breaking by the shore.

Three weeks ago, Sarah had graduated from college. She was now twenty-three and mature beyond her years. She had completed a double-major in English and Theatre and won several awards for performances both in and out of school. Her English professor had given a speech commemorating her for her short stories and praised her unpublished novel about a girl and a fantasy kingdom. He had compared it to _The Chronicles of Narnia_ and _Alice in Wonderland_, each works which she highly respected. He hoped she would find the courage to have it published, but she still insisted that it was too close to her heart to share with more than her close friends. Nevertheless, everything she had ever wanted was falling into place in surreal perfection.

Now, alone in the apartment, Sarah felt a complete failure. She realized that the alcohol could have depressed her, but all-in-all she was unhappy. Five friends had decided to take the trip to Spain: two couples and Sarah. It had rarely bothered her that she did not date; guys just never seemed to take an interest in her. She had engaged in brief relationships, but always felt as if she were betraying herself. She enjoyed the thrill of a relationship, but whenever she was with a boy she felt somehow hypocritical.

She took some therapy with a psychiatrist earlier in the year. He suggested that maybe she was a lesbian or bisexual, to which she replied no. She certainly had an attraction toward men, but not any she had met. The shrink asked Sarah about her dreams, literally, and told her to begin keeping a diary about her nighttime fantasies. At this point she had stopped seeing the psychiatrist, because she could not reveal her dreams to anyone without giving away her most precious secret.

She thought back to eight years ago, when she had just turned fifteen. That was when they began. She remembered the labyrinth with such clarity and her dreams all seemed to stem from her adventure. She remembered her friends, Hoggle and Sir Didymus and Ludo. She talked to them in her room in those dreams, as if she were not asleep but only sitting up late. Those had stopped once she moved out of her house and into the college apartments. Then her dreams faded into darker, more frightening images. Every night she saw a white owl appear. It would watch her, fly with her, be with her, but never make a sound. Many times it simply remained part of the background. It became so much a part of her dreams that she became frightened if it did not appear, but she would will it to return and it would.

Many times, she dreamt that she was once more in the Labyrinth trying desperately to save Toby but she would fail. Or maybe she would reach the thirteenth hour and suddenly Toby would turn into a goblin before her eyes. The Goblin King would laugh deeply, but she could never make out his face. She would strain to see him, but all that revealed was a silhouette of a man.

On other nights, when she felt peaceful and rested, she dreamt of masquerades and parties where she would wander among the crowd, searching for someone. To her surprise, she would inevitably freeze as she saw Jareth, the Goblin King, face her in his mask. He would begin to lower it and she would wake abruptly.

Sarah wanted desperately to believe that her adventure was real, but the more she thought about it, the less probable it seemed. That little leather-bound book, Labyrinth, which she had been studying at the time must have began her dreams, but why would they return every night for eight years? They were so realistic that they were frightening.

Nevertheless, the dreams also comforted her. Jareth had become a sort of security, always there in some way. The owl, clearly another form of Jareth, gave her strength and compassion. She wondered how she could allow her mind to attach to dream characters. She found herself thinking of Jareth all the time, wondering if she had gone mad.

Sarah snapped to reality as a car horn honked. She felt suddenly overwhelmed and isolated, wishing that Jareth would appear. Tears spilled over her cheeks and she tried to smear them off quickly, but it was no use. She folded her arms across her chest for warmth and comfort as the sky began to cry with her. Below her, she heard a couple giggle and go inside their apartment. Without realizing what she was saying, Sarah whispered aloud, "I wish Jareth would come take me away right now."

The clock in the square below began to toll. Sarah counted the chimes: one, two, three. They continued. She peered out to sea. Six, seven, eight. Their solemn tone seemed to silence the noise all around, and Sarah straightened in slight alarm. Ten, eleven, twelve. The chiming had finished. Then chimed once more: Thirteen. Sarah dropped her arms and leaned forward to try to look at the clock in the square. It clearly read thirteen o'clock. She gasped involuntarily as the wind picked up to a frenzy. She turned to face the force, her eyes now watering from the biting wind.

Then she saw it; a white owl was sweeping gracefully through the sky directly toward her. She stepped backward in a mixture of shock and fear, and the sleek bird flew closer. She tripped over the deck furniture and sprawled on the ground while hitting her head. Everything spun momentarily, and as she looked back to where the owl should have been she felt a shadow close over her. Towering above her was the slender and imposing Goblin King, his cape fluttering about him, one gloved hand resting on his hip.

Sarah tried to rise but her head dizzied her and she stumbled back against the wall, stuttering, "It's you," and attempting to rise once more.

"Yes, it certainly is me. You wished for me, and I came for you. Here," he reached out a strong leather-clad hand and helped her to rise. She accepted his help cautiously.

"Why did you never come before," she began to tilt again but he caught her around the waist firmly.

"You never said the words before. But now you have because now you are ready," his liquid words stirred sensations within her that made her tremble with fear. She attempted to step away, but he pulled her closer. His face was only inches from her own.

"Sarah, I have been waiting for you for a long time," she felt fainter with the open ended statement.

"Why would you wait for me? I defeated you in your labyrinth, I took back Toby, I angered you, you said so-"

"Because, sweet Sarah, you know as well as I that words can mean very little, though they can also mean so much. And I also believe that you understand the power of emotion. You are an actress, you thrive upon emotion cloaked with words," he stepped closer, his lips nearly brushing her forehead, "And your emotions have brought me back to you once more."

Sarah began tilting again, this time in the wake of his words. Sarah pushed from his forearms and he released her carefully, worried she would fall again.

"But I am also a writer, and I know that words often mean more than they should." How many times had her scholar friends tried to over-analyze her novel with symbolism and given their psycho-analysis of the antagonist and protagonist. Of course, she found it ironic that the antagonist was now stirring the same emotions that her friends had read into after scrutinizing her unpublished work.

Jareth began to circle around Sarah, who remained frozen in contemplation. He could sense her struggle of emotions, but knew the only conflict was from shock.

"Sarah, I have a crystal for you," he produced a glistening orb from the air and rolled it across his hands. "But this is no crystal for a girl that only dreams, this is for a woman who follows her heart."

Sarah looked into his eyes, startled when she realized that one remained dilated. It was a pool of black that she seemed to fall through. His other eye adjusted to the lights from the kitchen. He seemed to stare directly into her heart, which caused her to tremble again.

He circled behind her, still playing with the crystal. She felt him move right behind her, felt his warmth along her back and bare legs. His hair brushed her neck and when he spoke it was only a whisper in her ear, "I never forgot about you," and this time his lips did brush her ear lobe, "And neither did you."

With these words, the crystal floated over her shoulder and hovered in front of her. She could see reflected inside her own face, frightened and windswept. Slowly, her reflected hair blew itself into a graceful hairstyle and she saw a beautiful flowing black gown morph from her thin camisole. She began to look about as in her dreams at the parties.

Jareth nudged her arm from behind, and timidly Sarah reached forward to break the crystal. A sensation like cold water washed over her and thrust her into the dream. She was searching the party for someone, when from the mist appeared the form of Jareth. It cleared and revealed his customary black boots, deep blue tights, and a long leather jacket that buttoned along his left side and trailed to the ground behind him like a cape. The collar of the jacket was tall and flipped up behind his head, which appeared last of all. His strong jaw line seemed to beckon her closer and so her image moved toward him.

Once she stood directly in front of him, she looked again into his eyes and seemed to slip into a trance. He said nothing, but began to dance with her. Music drifted through the mist, providing them a haunting tune. Her heart began to race and her hands quaked from the pulse of blood surging through her veins. The music reached a climax and Jareth drew his face closer, closer. Her eyes closed and she gasped away into a faint. Sarah felt her body on earth sink into warmth. Jareth caught her as she fainted and the wind shifted, enveloping them in his cape. They disappeared as quickly as that.


	2. Basis for Comparison

**Chapter Two**

**Basis for Comparison **

When Sarah awoke, she was stretched out on a large feather bed. Sun streamed through the stone windows to her right. Groggily she remembered the happenings of the night before, and jumped up to look around her. To her relief, Jareth was nowhere in sight.

The sudden and entirely unexpected departure had taken Sarah completely off guard. She had been tipsy from the alcohol and spoke rashly. What she had murmured was only meant to be a silly wish, not reality. Though as she thought of his eyes, she calmed slightly as her body tensed. Carefully she wondered whether she was dreaming again. Risking cliché, she pinched her arm and felt quite noticeable pain. But had she not also felt pain when the misleading little fairy had bitten her finger? Perhaps she had not imagined the pain, or managed to pinch herself in her sleep.

She slipped from the high bed and noticed a tall wardrobe, the doors opened slightly. Inside were seven dresses and a few other outfits.

She wondered how she could go home and where she would go, but realized that she needed to be clothed in something more than silk pajamas if she were to find an escape. A full cream skirt, cream peasant shirt, and black leather bodice appealed to her and she put them on quickly. The laces to the bodice were in front and not too difficult to manage. She also found black suede boots in the bottom of the wardrobe. Her skirt came to mid calf, and the with the addition of a forest green hip scarf, she looked rather like a gypsy. She figured that the scarf could come in handy if it got chilly later in the day. She had no idea what the weather was like in the Underground, but figured it had to be similar to earth because all the outfits seemed summery.

Sarah looked around the room and through a door she located a large bathroom. She washed her face and brushed her hair, leaving it flowing down her back. There was a jewelry box on the counter, but she left it unopened because she intended to leave soon.

She opened another door into a library and from there found a long hallway that she assumed led to the rest of the castle. To her left, the hall ended within fifty feet. The other direction went on for a long distance and then turned, so she followed that path.

She walked for nearly a minute when something short and gray came shooting toward her with a large pile of white linens. It nearly crashed into her as it hurried along, but dropped all it carried when it stopped abruptly.

"I'm so sorry miss, I was only trying to hurry," a female goblin said hastily and began to gather up a cloth which had flown to one side.

"Oh no, I'm sorry I was in your way. Let me help," Sarah bent and helped collect a sheet, folding it back neatly and handing it to the goblin. "Could you tell me where to find the king?" she felt awkward asking for Jareth so formally.

"Oh yes miss, but I wouldn't be disturbing him now. He is always very busy and wishes not to be bothered unless it is important. Would you like me to give him a message when he is available?"

Sarah felt she should speak to Jareth immediately, no matter how busy he claimed to be. However, she wouldn't mind exploring a bit and thought it best to speak to him when he was not distracted.

"Well, alright. Can you tell him that I want to go home? I didn't mean to wish myself here in the first place," she elaborated, more for her own benefit than the goblin's. "I can't stay here and I don't really want to anyway." The more she thought about it, the more she missed her home and her former life. But somehow she felt guilty wanting to undo her wish.

"I will tell him soon, miss. What is your name?"

"Sarah," she bent to gather another sheet and the goblin squeaked in shock.

"You are Sarah? Oh no miss, please, I can get that," she quickly took the sheet from her hands and scrambled to gather the rest from the floor, "If I had know it was you, I would have sent you directly to His Majesty."

"I'm sorry, but why?"

"King Jareth has ordered that his guest be treated with all the respect due-" She squeaked again and began to hurry down the hall with her eyes cast to the ground.

"Wait, what do you mean? Where is he?"

"Oh, my apologies Miss Sarah. I will show you to him," the goblin abandon the sheets to the floor once more and scurried in the other direction.

"Slow down! What is your name?"

"My name? But Miss Sarah, I am only a humble servant. You may call me what you like."

"I would like to know your name, you are the only person in the castle that I know," Sarah was weary of the excitable attitude of the little goblin.

"My friends call me Sharon, Miss Sarah," she gave a quick curtsey and continued her fast pace.

"You may call me Sarah, if you like. There is no need to be formal."

"Oh but I should not, it is not becoming for someone of your status," Sarah was entirely confused now.

"My status? What, a kidnapped girl? What makes me deserve respect?" A tight sensation in her stomach stopped her as they drew close to the tall doors of the throne room.

"Here you are, Miss. Anytime you need me, just call my name and I will be there for you," with that she curtsied very low and ran off in the direction they had come.

Sarah tried to stop her, but gave up as she sped away around the corner. She turned to face the doors and mustered all her strength to open them. She knew what to do, she needed to go home and end this silly game. She reached for the handle, but drew her hand back quickly. It would be embarrassing if she interrupted some sort of meeting. Again she stretched out her hand, but instead shifted her weight back and forth.

"Come on Sarah," she whispered quietly to herself, "what are you worried about being embarrassed for anyway? Just keep a determined mindset. Ready, now open it!"

The door creaked loudly and Sarah slipped into the room, pushing the door shut behind her. Turning quickly, she saw Jareth sitting sideways in his throne tossing a crystal back and forth fluidly. As the door shut, he looked up and smiled devilishly.

"Good morning, Sarah. I see you managed to find something suitable to wear. I must say, you have a," he paused, "good taste in fashion." Sarah burned bright red when she remembered her thin silk pajamas from the evening before.

"Goblin King, I want to return home. Now." she straightened her back and attempted to sound forceful. She had eluded the baby-snatcher before and would do it again.

"I'm afraid you cannot leave, Sarah. I was kind enough to grant you your last wish, not to mention the whole experience with your brother." Jareth smiled to himself, as if laughing at some joke only he understood.

"You stole him from me. You said yourself that words do not matter, but you are selectively listening to a few of them. Ironically, the ones spoken with the least amount of meaning."

"Dear Sarah, you realize don't you that you spoke the words on the night I took your brother with more passion than anything else you had ever said before in your life?"

"Well, I was upset. But last night," he cut her off with one gloved hand.

"But last night you spoke with even more passion," he grinned again and swung his legs to the floor.

Sarah stammered, "But I- No, I was lonely, and, and-" _and drunk _she added to herself.

Jareth rose and took a step toward her, "And now? Why would you wish to be here, Sarah?"

She struggled not to storm out of the room as he advanced closer to her.

"I'm not sure."

"Oh really? That's interesting."

"How is it interesting?" Sarah was infuriated by his calm and suave demeanor.

"You seem to change your mind very quickly. Very indecisive."

"Well, sometimes we say things we don't mean."

"Yes, very true, dear Sarah. And I know it most of all."

"I'm sure you would, having so many helpless sisters or brothers or mothers falling into your Labyrinth."

At this he laughed deep within his throat. "Few have regretted their decisions, and those that have realized in the end that what they did was best," he paced around Sarah, a little too close for comfort. "all those children were abused or neglected. Maybe the mother was too young or impoverished to raise a child properly. Here I can offer them a home, a loving family,"

"Yeah, you turn them into your goblin slaves! Do you really call that a family?"

"I do not turn them into slaves. An unfortunate side affect is the inevitable transformation into a goblin. It happens rather quickly, usually nothing happens within the first thirteen hours though."

"But you enslave them."

"I do no such thing; I have offered many of them jobs in my castle but most are adopted into families," he turned to face Sarah, his hands clasped behind his back. Sarah felt better believing his claim, but suddenly realized that she had been there for close to thirteen hours.

"What will happen to me if I stay here? Am I to become one of your subjects as well?"

Jareth laughed again, his head tilted back slightly. His long pale neck stirred some inner sense, making Sarah step backward. "No my dear. Only those wished away by their families or friends face that little confusion. You are an unusual case. I don't think anyone has wished themselves _back_ to me." He laughed at Sarah's indignant expression. "Also, as humans mature they take longer to transform into a goblin."

Sarah took a steadying breath, "I want to go home."

Jareth looked to the floor, a strange, sad smile on his face. Sarah tried to see him better. He sighed deeply and twisted his wrist. A crystal appeared and hovered between them. An image of Toby playing in the front yard swirled in the sphere.

"If you take this crystal, I will take Toby instead of you, I will never visit you again, and you will forget the labyrinth completely."

"But that's unfair!"

"Sarah, when will you learn that this expression of yours really has no meaning unless you have some sort of a basis for comparison?" he shook his head and smiled playfully. It was a gesture Sarah found quite degrading.

She scoffed, "But Toby has nothing to do with this time. He had no part in my wish, so why take him?"

He placed a hand on his hip and cocked his head to one side with a grin, reminding her very much of her first encounter with the Goblin King, "Ah, but what else can you offer to trade? Perhaps you have a better suggestion?"

"What do you want?" she probed cautiously.

"Truthfully, I want a companion. It can be lonely in the Underground. I believe you understand the feeling," the crystal changed to reveal her image from last night, crying on the balcony in Spain. "When you called for me, I thought perhaps this was an opportunity to solve our problem."

Sarah was startled. She had not expected this. She thought about her dreams. As if hearing her thoughts, Jareth continued, "I won't visit your dreams, you will not remember me any more if you take this crystal."

Surprise lifted her voice, "Were you actually there? In those dreams?"

"Yes. I visited you every night in your dreams," he would not look up from the floor.

Sarah asked the one thing on her mind, "Why?"

"Take it or leave it. If you do not accept the crystal, you will have to accept living here. There are no other options, as I must have a replacement if you leave," Sarah recoiled. "Make your choice wisely."

Sarah thought for a minute. She thought back to the balcony, to the crystal he had given her, the resulting vision.

"Goblin King, what was the crystal you gave me last night?"

"I gave you something I had offered to you eight years ago."

She thought about his words from before. Something intangible in a sphere. A literal gift of an insubstantial vision. "My dreams? But why?"

"You needed it more this time."

"I don't understand, what was in it?"

"Only you know that. I do not choose your dreams. That is something you alone can do."

Sarah stumbled again. If she chose that vision, then what did it mean? The blank, almost depressed look on Jareth's down-turned face clearly revealed that he had no idea what she had dreamt. She eyed the crystal, a moment frozen in time. If she took that, would she be denying her own dreams? What would happen to Toby? After another minute, she turned and ran from the room.

Jareth looked up as she ran and noticed the crystal still floating there. He gazed at Sarah's image and watched as it slowly faded and the crystal disappeared.

Sarah ran to her room, not even stopping as she passed Sharon in the hall. Tears were streaming down her face and she found it incredibly difficult to breathe. As soon as she reached her room, she locked the door and flopped onto the couch in the library. She began to sob uncontrollably, afraid of her predicament. If she had taken the crystal, none of this would have mattered. She would not remember the Labyrinth or Jareth or any of her adventures and therefore could not miss it. But she could not turn Toby back over to the monster.

An hour passed, but Sarah remained strewn across the couch in tears. The conflicting emotions sent spasms of pain through her back. Her face felt sore and puffy from the burst of emotion, but she had begun to calm down.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Sarah wiped her eyes but imagined it would be impossible to hide the evidence of her outburst.

"Miss Sarah?"

"You can come in, Sharon," Sarah sat up and smoothed her skirt.

"I thought you might like some tea- is everything all right?"

Sarah thought she might brush it off, she was tired of thinking of her predicament, but talking to her might help ease her burden. "No, Jareth will not let me go home. Well, he will, but only if I choose to forget the Labyrinth and everything that happened here. I was here once before," she added for Sharon's benefit.

"Oh yes, everyone knows about you. You defeated the Goblin King."

"I won my brother back. He deserved to be beaten, he is a horrible man."

"Yes you won your brother, but master Jareth suffered more than just a loss. After you left, master Jareth became very ill. He did not leave his bedroom for nearly three months. After that, he was never quite the same. No one was allowed to talk to him at night, he barely ate, and he remained in his room for days at a time."

Sarah fidgeted and adjusted her skirt, offering a place on the sofa for Sharon. She sat next to her timidly. She handed Sarah a cup of sweet mint and honey tea.

"We were worried that he was dying. It was like that for three years. He would not speak to anyone for a long time. We are still not sure why, but I think that he missed you."

"Missed me? But why?"

"Who knows, but I think it would not be hard for him to become enamored with someone of your talents, especially after solving the labyrinth."

Sarah set the cup down on a table and blinked. Sharon quietly excused herself and slipped from the room. Sarah sat in bewilderment for a time, then decided that she needed a nap and went back to the bedroom.

A white nightgown hung in the wardrobe and she changed into it quickly, attempting to shut out all her thoughts. She failed, but was so exhausted that she drifted to sleep almost as quickly as she slid between the cool, soft sheets.

When Sarah's eyes flicked open, the light shining through the window was soft and orange, as if the sun were beginning to descend. She sat up in confusion, feeling that she could not have slept more than a minute. However, the grandfather clock in the library was striking six. Not a single dream had pressed her mind, and it occurred to her that since she had arrived she had not dreamt at all.

There was a quiet knock on the door and Sarah answered it in person. Sharon was standing in the hallway with a fresh bouquet of white roses and lilacs.

"Good afternoon, Miss Sarah. I brought you these from the garden," she came in and placed the vase on the small table where the tea things were. She began to replace them on the tray. "Also, I came to inform you that dinner is served at eight. Master Jareth has invited you to dine with him," she glanced to Sarah, who still stood in place by the door, recalling the past day.

"Am I required to attend?" she finally asked.

"No, he told me that your dinner may be served in here tonight if you would rather. Shall I tell him you will remain in your room?"

Sarah shook her head slowly, "It's alright, I will go to dinner."

"Wonderful! I shall inform him of your choice," she began to exit with the tray.

"Wait!" Sarah stopped her just as she reached the door. "I don't know what to wear," she glanced at the wardrobe in the other room, remembering the fancy dresses. "Is it a formal event?"

"I'm not sure what you mean by formal, let me draw you a bath and I will lay out a dress for you to wear for dinner."

"Thank you. I appreciate that."

Sharon set the tray back on the table and scurried into the bathroom. Sarah heard the sound of running water and walked into the room. Sharon showed her how to work the enormous tub and pointed out some bath salts and soaps. She closed the door behind her as she left to find an outfit.

The water steamed and hissed as it poured from a silver spout. She stripped off the flowing white nightgown and climbed into the bath. It was about four feet deep with a bench to sit upon while bathing. Sarah selected a small bottle of bubbles that were a lovely shade of purple. As she suspected, they smelled like the lilacs in the bouquet. The tub filled unusually fast and she turned off the water. It felt nice to close her eyes and relax in the bath.

She stayed on her back like this for several moments, then sat up and opened her eyes. She was startled when she gazed into what she thought was a crystal, but realized that it was only a large bubble. Sarah wondered if Jareth ever spied on her with his crystals and suddenly felt very subconscious. She sank lower under the thick layer of bubbles, feeling somewhat disturbed at the thought.

Why had Jareth withdrawn after she had left the Underground? Surely his inflated ego had been burst and so he obsessed over revenge. She could only imagine that he had become spiteful because she had outsmarted him. Why would he be attracted to her?

Sarah rubbed her wrinkling hands and let the water drain from the bath after she had washed her hair. She grabbed a towel from the pile next to the tub and dried herself off, reveling in the soft sensation on her smooth legs. She noticed then that her hair had not grown a bit on her legs or armpits, leaving them as smooth as if they were freshly shaved. She assumed it was something about magic and began to powder herself with a rose scent.

Just outside the door, Sharon had left a chair with an outfit waiting for Sarah. A corset that tightened of its own will to fit her went over a comfortable white petticoat. Sarah examined the gown, taking in its blue-purple satin and lovely cream lace. The bodice appeared fairly low cut, but she couldn't help but admire the intricate lace that covered the whole of the bodice and trimmed the sleeves and hem. She smiled and went back to the bathroom to style her hair and put on makeup before attempting the large dress.

Sarah found that her hair had already dried miraculously, and was now hanging in a loose wave down her back. She twisted it up and pinned it securely. A bit of shimmering eye shadow that looked like fairy dust added a perfect accent to her eyes. Pink berry lip color completed the look. Sarah slipped on the dress and stood to admire the affect.

What it lacked was proper jewelry, but Sarah did not want to seem too comfortable so resisted peeking into the jewelry box. She then heard a knock on the door, and hastily smudged a bit of eyeliner beneath her eyes so as to appear slightly disheveled and upset. She grinned and hurried to the door to greet Sharon.

She swung the door open and smiled down to Sharon's height but instead found herself looking at the tight black pants of the Goblin King. She immediately rose her eyes to his and dropped her smile.

"Hello Sarah. I came to escort you to dinner," he offered his arm, which she took hesitantly, attempting to appear nonchalant.

"Thank you, Goblin King. How thoughtful," her voice dripped with sarcasm.

He laughed smoothly, "No need for formalities. You may call me Jareth," she caught his smirk from the corner of her eye.

"Well then, _Jareth_, I am grateful that you would stoop low enough to escort a prisoner to dinner," she realized how bratty she sounded, but felt much better trying to be defiant.

He reacted as she had hoped, his arm stiffening and his stride lengthening, "You are not a prisoner, Sarah. I offered you the chance to leave. You made the choice to remain."

"But you told me you would take Toby back. Toby is not even a part of this wish, so why bring him into it? It's unfair to both of us."

"I'm still not sure on what you base your opinion, but if I let you leave, I need a replacement. You wished yourself away, and so I am generously offering you a bargaining tool that you ordinarily would not be given."

"How is that generous? You have no concept of generosity. I cannot give you my brother. He did not ever wish himself away, it was my silly mistake. I didn't mean what I wished; not now, not then."

"Sarah, understand this: You made your decision. I offered you an alternative but you did not take it. Have you changed your mind?"

"No, I-"

"Then you cannot complain. My offer still stands, but I suggest you mean what you say before you wish for anything else," he steered her around a corner with more force than necessary, pressing his hand hard against her spine.

"You're hurting me," Sarah said between clenched teeth.

"So are you."

Dinner was a silent affair. Sarah refused to start any topics of conversation and Jareth was still irritated. They ate little and once they were finished, Sarah was unsure what to do. She glared at Jareth, who glared back at her.

Again the dilated eye seemed to scan her very soul, which made her feel uncomfortable. She suddenly felt memories of her past playing through her mind, distracting her. Several from her childhood passed in quick succession and she closed her eyes tightly, trying to think of something else. She did not understand why she was having theses flashbacks, then focused on Jareth's eye again.

"Are your reading my mind?"

"Probing. I cannot read minds."

"Is there a difference? And why are you probing my mind? It is very disconcerting," she said irritably.

"I'm sorry. Probing is a way of searching memories, things that happened. Reading minds is like hearing your thoughts or memories of thoughts. Very few people can do that."

Sarah was glad that he could not search her thoughts. It would be very uncomfortable. Her memories stopped rushing through her mind, but focused on beating the labyrinth. Very clearly, she saw in her mind's eye the multidimensional room, falling through it as it broke apart, landing and seeing Jareth, he begins to speak.

Sarah closed her eyes tightly and turned her face away from Jareth. He laughed and the memory faded.

"I have studied that memory so many times. I wondered how you had done it and what I might have done to prevent you from beating me at my own game," he plucked at the tablecloth absent mindedly.

Sarah scowled and folded her arms. Of course, that was why she had those dreams. He was trying to figure out how she had solved the labyrinth. "Really? How very much like you to invade someone else's mind to serve your own needs."

Jareth looked up at her and frowned in confusion, "I beg your pardon?"

Sarah gave him a terse smile and set her napkin next to her plate of barely touched food. She felt very hungry, but also very ill. She stood up quickly and felt extremely faint, but could not sit back down.

"I beg _your _pardon, but I do not feel well and shall have to leave you to do whatever nonsense you fill your time with. Good evening, Goblin King," with this, she turned and began to storm toward the door. The longer she spent with Jareth, the more infuriated she became. However, as she approached the great double doors, she started to sway and lose her vision. If she could make it to the door, she could sit down outside without damaging her pride. As her mind clouded over, she wondered if she was becoming more like him; mood swings and inflated ego.

She passed through the doors and looked for a bench or a chair, but found none. The thought occurred to her that Jareth was purposely clouding her mind. Her body slumped against the wall and she fell hard onto her knees, blacking out as she fell sideways.


	3. Understanding Dreams

**Chapter Three**

**Understanding Dreams**

When Sarah awoke, she was unsure where she was. Her head ached when she tried to open her eyes or move, so she remained motionless. She wondered what had happened, and thought maybe she was having a hangover from the drinking at the disco. But she remembered that she had not drank much at all and certainly not enough to affect her in this way.

Slowly things came back to her and she forced her eyes open. She was in her room in the castle, stretched out on her bed, with sunlight streaming into her face. She moaned and closed her eyes again, attempting to suppress a wave of pain and nausea.

She remembered arguing with Jareth, standing up abruptly, then things became foggy. Her mind associated many random events from her past with that moment, and she was having trouble understanding why. Jareth had been reading; no, probing her mind. She had not liked that and left rudely.

She had been rude to Jareth. He was irritated with her. She was mad at him. Everything fell in place and she remembered passing out in the hallway. That was the night before-

"Good morning, I trust you slept well."

"Jareth!" Sarah was surprised to notice him standing in the room. She did not remember him there or hear him enter.

"Quiet, you don't want to over-exert yourself."

Curiosity claimed her, "What happened? I know I fainted, but I don't remember anything beyond that."

"I was following you out the door and saw you just as you fell. I could not catch you in time and you hit your head quite hard. I brought you to your room and called for a healer to check your head. It's nearly eleven in the morning now, and you have been unconscious since your fall," he moved to the bed and reached out to touch her throbbing temple. She flinched at his touch, but found that the pain lessened.

"I'm not sure why I fainted-"

"It's all right, don't talk. Sometimes that happens to mortals once they first enter the labyrinth. And sometimes it happens when your mind is probed," he added with a hint of guilt to his voice.

Sarah was still irked that he had been messing around in her mind, but felt so relaxed under his alleviating touch that she didn't have the will to snap at him. He seemed sorry, whether he said it or not.

Warmth spread from his open palm, wrapping her face in a soft comfort. She wanted to assert herself, but instead began to drift to sleep. Her head tilted onto her uninjured side and just before she slipped off to sleep she noticed a bright red stain on the pillow.

Something was tugging at Sarah's hair. She felt her head lift slightly, then gently fell back onto a cold pillow. The blankets were tugged higher over her shoulders. Her mind was just barely awake. She assumed that someone was taking care of her, but she resisted waking up fully. In the next room, the clock struck three.

Sarah noticed that her head no longer hurt and that she actually felt much better. Whoever was adjusting the sheets carefully traced their fingers across the corner of her head that she had hit. The nurse brushed the hair from her face softly, such a considerate act that Sarah felt tingly and touched. The hand lingered for a moment, then pulled away and she heard her caregiver walk slowly from the room.

After about five minutes, Sarah mustered the energy to get out of bed. There was still bright afternoon light filtering in through the silvery blue drapes, and she was beginning to feel very hungry. When she climbed out of bed, she realized that she was completely undressed. She immediately thought of Jareth, who she knew had been in the room that morning, and blushed heavily thinking that she had been so indisposed under the covers.

She slipped on a long blue dress with an empress bodice and fitted long sleeves. In the bathroom, she examined her face. It left no trace of the previous night's injury. She touched it gingerly, and discovered that it had been fully healed. Discovering this, she brushed her hair quickly and placed a silver circlet on her head. It fit down onto her forehead and nestled smoothly into her dark waves.

Sarah quietly entered the library, passing to the hallway. As she approached the door, she heard something rustle behind her. Jareth sat up from the couch, where he had apparently been resting. His hair was unusually messy and he had a very tired appearance.

He cleared his throat, "Hello. Are you feeling better?"

Sarah blushed, remembering his hand upon her face that morning. She had been naked under the covers then. "Yes, I feel completely better," her voice fell away, curious.

"The healer gave you a potion for speedy recovery and I enchanted you to sleep. It seems the effect worked quite well."

"Yes it did," she stood awkwardly for a moment, then sat carefully in the armchair nearest the couch. She felt indebted to him for his care. "You look like you could use some rest."

He laughed lightly, "I have been awake checking on you. We were very worried; you lost a lot of blood."

She remembered the red patch on her pillow, "Did I hit it that hard?"

"The doctor thinks that you fractured your skull and suffered a concussion, but the potion he gave you should have taken care of that. It was fortunate that I followed you or you might have bled to death," he looked down.

Sarah stared at him for a moment. She felt bad for having been so rude the night before. "Thank you," was all she could say. He looked up and smiled slightly.

"It was nothing. I could have had some of the maids take care of you, but I wanted to be sure you were alright," he folded his hands and dropped his gaze again. "Sharon undressed you, I had no part in that," she detected a smirk, and felt her face redden again. He was very concise.

"You took care of me all night? And this morning?"

"Yes. I felt a little responsible since I brought you here. And probed your mind," he fidgeted.

"It's alright. I wished myself here; you only did what I asked you to do," she admitted quietly. Their eyes met briefly in a silent apology, and then they each looked away.

Jareth rose to his feet, "come, you must be very hungry now. We can eat and then if you don't mind, I will take a nap. You shouldn't be walking around too much anyway, but perhaps you would enjoy reading a book while I rest?"

Sarah stood and took his waiting arm awkwardly, "I would enjoy that."

They walked together to the dining room, each more receptive to the other, and found a warm plate of sandwiches and a dish with fresh vegetables. It was a thoroughly filling meal, and while they ate they chatted about the castle. Jareth told her about the grounds and some of the rooms that she could visit. There was a large greenhouse off of Sarah's hallway with ponds, waterfalls, and a bathing pool. In the east wing there was a library and art studio with every imaginable medium. Across from that was a conservatory and a recreation room.

"You will love the gardens, they are very well kept and quite large. I often spend evenings walking through them. And at night on the terrace you can see so many stars. Once night falls, there is about half an hour where everything is very quiet and still, then suddenly it seems all the night creatures begin to explore. You can hear them out there on the grounds," he took another bite of his sandwich.

"It sounds lovely! Perhaps we can sit out there tonight."

"We must. It would be nice to have some company for once," he finished and took a bite of cucumber.

Sarah frowned slightly. "Do you not have many visitors here at the castle?"

"No, it is usually very dull around here. I go into the goblin city to meet with landowners and lords, sometimes I help arrange citywide gatherings or meetings. On very rare occasions neighboring royalty will visit for a few weeks. After so many years, it all seems the same."

She processed this as she finished her meal, then looked over to notice Jareth's eyes just barely open. "You must be so tired, please go ahead and rest. I cannot thank you enough for taking care of me."

"It was my pleasure. Feel free to explore the castle, any of the goblins can assist you if you get lost or if you need anything at all. My room is next to yours, the last one in the hall, just in case you need me. I will only be a few hours, just enough to keep me awake for our star gazing," he said with a smile. She returned it and he rose to leave. He pulled out the chair as she stood and gave a slight bow before turning and exiting. She watched him go, realizing fully for the first time how wrong she had been to judge him.

In the library adjacent to her room, Sarah had found a wide variety of books. Some seemed to be about the history of the Labyrinth and the Underground and there was also what she guessed were works of fiction from authors she had never heard of and assumed were from the Underground. There were also familiar titles like _Lord of the Rings_, _Dracula_, and _The Count of Monte Cristo_.

_Alice in Wonderland _practically jumped from the shelf, so Sarah took it with her and wandered back down the hall to find her way to the greenhouse to read. It was not difficult to find; the door was a deep green with emeralds and gold forming intricate designs.

Inside, the walls were enchanted with artificial greenhouse windows and sunlight was streaming in through the glass ceiling. A small creek ran in what appeared to be a continuous loop through the entire room, which was roughly the size of a football field. She walked around the paths for nearly twenty minutes, then settled in a shady and cool pavilion with lounges and a fountain. She settled down to read and soon was absorbed by the book.

As Sarah was finishing the third chapter, a male goblin came and asked her if he could bring her any refreshments. She asked for a lemonade and he reported back with it quite quickly. Sarah thanked him and swallowed some. She set it down and continued reading, periodically sipping from the glass. Each time she set it down, it was drained noticeably. The next time she picked it up, however, it was filled to the top again.

By the time Sarah had finished and was moving onto _Through the Looking Glass_, Jareth returned. He had dressed in gray pants and a white peasant top, the neckline open to reveal his smooth chest. The gold amulet that he always wore shone against the paleness of his skin. Around his waist he had tied a scarf the same color as her blue dress. As always, he wore sleek black gloves. His dark boots clicked across the stone floor.

"Hello again, I hope you were not too terribly bored," he sat across from her.

She blushed and closed her book, "I was fine, I love this book."

"Lewis Carroll, quite an unusual read. But C.S. Lewis is perhaps my favorite author of the earth world. I believe we also have The _Chronicles of Narnia_," he stretched his arm across the back of the chair and crossed his ankle over his knee. "I have read those so many times."

"So have I. When I was a child, I used to pretend that my closet led into a secret world."

Jareth smiled, a little confused, "Well, it could have been, if it were enchanted."

Sarah laughed, and set the book aside. "What time is it?"

"Nearing seven, I believe. Would you care to take a walk through the gardens and watch the sun set on the terrace?"

"That sounds wonderful."

They rose and walked out the door, Jareth again offering his arm. She took it, and left for the gardens.

The sun was just beginning to sink, bathing the earth in a red-copper light. They emerged onto the terrace and Sarah caught her breath. It was an immense tiled balcony, about one hundred feet from the ground, looking over gardens and an oak forest that extended until it reached tall golden hills. Farther away were purple mountains with snow laced peaks.

"It's beautiful," she said at last, hurrying over to the edge of the balcony. It was about fifty feet wide and probably three times that length. There was a dining table for twelve under the shade of the house and benches all along the rail. At the far ends were paths leading down into the gardens. Jareth led her to them and they descended into the lush green landscape.

"I grew up playing in these gardens," Jareth murmured with nostalgia. "My younger sister and I invented all kinds of games and many times the goblins would join us."

A breeze swished through the trees and ruffled their hair, "I did not realize you have a sister. Where is she now?"

"She lives in the next kingdom with her husband, Kade. My sister, Corsicana, married when she was quite young. They are waiting to adopt a child form earth, but one of the right age has not been wished away yet. Not very many children are wished away, at the most only about one a year. So few people remember the words, and it seems much of the world does not believe in the stories any more," they passed though a long courtyard with several fountains. Jareth sighed, "I am quite close to my sister, but I do not see her very often. We write to one another, but I still miss her. I don't think I have seen her for nearly a decade."

Sarah thought of what Sharon had said, about Jareth retreating into solitude. "I would enjoy meeting more Fae, like you. Maybe you could invite Corsicana and Kade to the castle sometime." Her voice grew quiet as she wondered not for the first time how long she would be in the Underground.

Jareth thought about this for a while. "Perhaps I could," was all he said. He had become quiet and pensive, drawn into thoughts about his sister.

They passed through an orchard and Jareth examined some of the fruit. At one tree, he picked a few of the large green fruits and showed them to Sarah.

"Have you ever tried these? They are cherimoyas," Sarah shook her head no. "I have always loved these," he turned back in the direction of the castle. "We should head back so that we are not caught in the dark."

"Sarah, I would like to teach you some magic," he cast her a sideways smile as they climbed the stone steps to the castle.

"Really? I can learn magic now?"

"Yes, it is difficult but we can start from the beginning. I think you would be very good with magic."

"What does it take to be a good magician?"

"An open mind, a passionate heart, and patience."

"I am flattered, but I am afraid I lack patience in most respects."

Jareth laughed heartily and Sarah could not help but smile broadly with the sound. "Well, patience can be difficult, but I hope you will enjoy the lessons enough that you will not be bored to the point of losing your patience entirely," they reached the steps as he said this.

Together, they made their way back through the gardens and up the steps to the terrace, where dinner had been laid out on the table. Sarah was out of breath from the long hike uphill, but Jareth did not seem affected at all.

They sat and began to eat. There was a delicate salmon fillet and rice along with steamed vegetables. Jareth gave the cherimoyas to a goblin, who took them to be prepared for dessert. After they had finished their meal, the goblin returned with the cherimoyas. They had been washed and cut in half.

Sarah watched how Jareth ate his, then took a spoonful of the cream colored fruit. He smiled at Sarah, his unfocused eyes glistening in the candlelight and the setting sun. "Is it good?"

"It is unbelievable. I think I saw these in the market in Spain but I had no idea what they were."

Jareth grinned and took another bite. They finished the cherimoyas in silence, no words needed to be said. Goblins cleared the plates and the two were left watching the sun sink over the horizon.

After a time, Jareth spoke, "Let's go watch the stars appear." They moved to the middle of the terrace and stretched out on the wide, shallow steps. It felt nice on the ground, the heat from the summer sun still warm on the stone. They leaned back, looking out over the darkening landscape. Everything began to fall eerily silent.

Slowly the sky changed from blue to purple and faded all the way to a sanguine red sky, then it began to sharpen into black.

"Look! There is the first star," Sarah said excitedly, "let's make a wish!"

"A wish?"

"Yes, on earth we wish upon the first star of the night. It is just a game, but it supposedly will come true."

"Wishing on a star, I have never thought of that before. And do they ever come true?"

"Well, usually the wish ends up being more than is possible," Jareth gave a muffled laugh. "My wishes never came true," Sarah replied matter-of-factly.

"For what would you wish?"

"Oh, silly things. When I was a little girl I used to wish for things like my birthday to happen the next day or for a sister, and when I got older I would wish for the popular boys to ask me on dates. It was nonsense, really."

"What would you wish for now?" Jareth asked with genuine curiosity. Sarah was stumped. She was unsure.

"Well, if you tell anyone your wish, it is not supposed to come true."

"So you just wait and expect it to come true?"

"Pretty much, yes."

Jareth drew his eyebrows together in confusion, "how ridiculous."

Sarah laughed, and closed her eyes tightly, a small smile playing on her lips.

"What are you doing?"

"Wishing."

"But it won't come true unless you say the words," he laughed.

"I can't say them though," she wished harder.

"You need magic to impose your will silently," he protested, hoping she would tell him her wish.

She opened her eyes and looked over to Jareth. He sat with one leg tucked beneath him and both hands folded in his lap. She reached out and took one of them, rubbing her fingers across the buttery leather of his gloves. His eyes were calm and wide. "What would you wish for, if you could wish for anything right now?"

He leaned forward and kissed her cheek softly, "I don't need to wish anymore," he leaned back to look into her startled eyes, and then his gaze fell away. They sat, frozen in the moment. "Let us go begin the magic lesson."

The pair moved silently through the halls. No one passed them and the only sounds were the tapping of their feet. Sarah could barely hear even that over the sound of her own heart beating furiously. "Where are we going?"

"To the dungeon. It is no longer used as a dungeon, but it is a safe place to practice magic. The walls are too thick to send any wayward spells."

Jareth had taken Sarah by the hand this time, his other arm circling her waist gently. His touch made her nervous. Despite the gentle side that had shone through during the afternoon, Sarah was still frightened by his cold face and overbearing presence, not to mention the obvious display of affection. She had betrayed herself by allowing this to continue; it was still her plan to leave as soon as she could, but now she was worried that she would second-guess herself if the chance arose.

Eventually they came to a door that was seeping cold air and Jareth pushed it open. It was dark inside, but Jareth waved his hand and lit the candelabras. It was a chilly room about thirty feet by forty feet. On the walls hung a few manacles and there were several doors that Sarah assumed led to prison cells.

Jareth threw a crystal to the center of the room to produce a large black couch with black velvet pillows. "You must be relaxed to use magic, it is a strenuous process," they sat on the soft cushions as they had earlier that evening.

Jareth turned to her and took her left hand and began to massage it. "Just take deep breaths and let yourself open."

Sarah was unsure how to "open," but she closed her eyes and leaned back. She began to drift into a comfortable feeling, though the cold and nervousness kept her on edge. Jareth massaged the right hand. Then he rose and walked to the back of the sofa, his heels clicking softly. Sarah opened her eyes and saw him looming over her, but he passed his gloved hand in front of her eyes and she relaxed again. He began to massage her neck and shoulders, working down her arms and then up her spine. He removed the hair pins carefully and laced his fingers through her hair. She could feel herself slowly falling asleep, and she was starting to wonder how long this would last when he stopped.

"Rise," Jareth commanded. She obeyed and turned to face him. The sofa had disappeared and he seemed to have regained the powerful and ominous look that she associated with the Goblin King. She controlled her sudden fear and reminded herself that she was safe, he was really a kind and gentle man.

"Now, we will begin with some basic conjuring spells. You must picture the object you want to appear, feel it, sense it in every way you can. Then compress it into a sphere with your mind, close it into a ball, and release it. Open your hand and you will have created a simple crystal," he twisted his wrist and produced a new crystal which he tossed to a wall. The couch reappeared. "Try making a pillow," Jareth watched her concentrate, she was too hasty in sensing the pillow though and no crystal formed. She tried again, spending time feeling the pillow, tasting its bland fabric, smelling it's musty feathers. She heard it crinkle as it moved and saw its velvet cover. She twisted her hand so the palm was facing toward the ceiling and felt something cold and light in her hand. She looked down to find a crystal.

"Now, toss it over there and we shall see what appears," Jareth faced the couch and Sarah threw it. The pillow in her mind now lay on the sofa.

"Very good, that is better than expected for your first crystal."

Sarah made four more pillows like this, taking less time to conjure them with each practice.

"Let's try something harder," he paced behind her and placed his face very near hers. She felt the strange sensation of fear once more. She was frightfully reminded of the time eight years ago when she had stood and looked over the Labyrinth for the first time.

"Why don't we try a memory? Something simple and meaningful."

_Look what I am offering you- your dreams._

She gasped as his words flashed through her mind.

_But what no one knew was this: the King of the Goblins had fallen in love with her, and given her certain powers._

Had he really fallen in love with her? She had never considered it seriously until that day.

"Pick anything you like and concentrate on all the senses. Try to play the memory through. When you become advanced enough, you can create your own images or stories in the crystals."

Sarah pictured the ballroom crystal from the balcony, his lips moving closer.

"Go ahead Sarah," Jareth breathed on her neck, she kept hearing his words.

_Just fear me, love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave._

The lips moving closer.

Without realizing it, she already had formed a crystal. She was unsure what it would tell, but she released it into the air where it floated like a bubble.

"Already? Very impressive Sarah. We can watch the memory together so I can see it and you can judge how accurate it was. Break the crystal with me," he took her hand, and they touched it together. Sarah felt the cold wash of water and a sinking feeling as she realized what the memory had become.

Jareth, the Goblin King, stood in his broken labyrinth from eight years previous. Sarah was there, but now she was twenty-three and dressed as she was when she conjured the memory. Somewhere next to her, the real Jareth hummed in surprise. The memory continued:

"Look Sarah, look what I am offering you- your dreams. I ask for so little. Just let me rule you and you can have everything that you want. Just fear me, love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave," Jareth pleaded, a lonely sorrow in his powerful words.

Sarah stepped backward in fright as he advanced slowly. She was pinned against a stone wall, but somehow she longed for him to keep her prisoner. Her lips parted, he drew closer. His hands rested upon her cinched waist. As his face neared hers, she whispered, "I love you," and he pressed his lips firmly on her own. He squeezed her waist and pulled them together, his feathery white cape gusted around them, and the memory exploded away.

Sarah and Jareth were alone in the dungeon, their hands loosely together. For a moment they stood perfectly still, each as surprised as the other. Sarah dropped his hand as she began to tremble slightly. Jareth turned toward her and their eyes locked. He stepped toward her quickly and suddenly and pressed his lips firmly against her own. They propelled backward with the force of his movement, his hands grasping her just above the hips. She took hold of his forearms for balance as they propelled toward the wall. Her back stuck the stone forcefully and they parted their lips to drink in the other.

He grasped her tighter and slid his hands up her waist to the ribbed area just beneath her breasts. She brought her hands behind his head.

Everything seemed to be floating away, as if the ground had left. Her stomach jolted at the weightless sensation and she was suddenly called back to her thoughts. She could not allow herself to do this.

Sarah turned her face away and stepped back, Jareth's hands still around her torso.

"What? What is it?" Jareth pleaded, nervous worry in his tone. "Sarah?" he brought one hand to her chin and turned her face toward his.

Tears brimmed her eyes, forcing her to blink. One spilled over and was wiped away by the smooth leather clad hand. She pulled away from him, attempting to hide her face. She had to remain strong.

"Jareth, I can't do this," her voice shook.

"Why? Tell me Sarah, have I done something wrong?"

"No, I- You are so perfect," she found herself saying the words without even thinking. "You are my dreams, Jareth. I never realized until today that you are all I ever wanted."

Jareth was shocked by her admission, "Then tell me what is wrong. Something is troubling you."

Sarah fought back the threatening sobs, "I can't live here forever. I can't just abandon my former life," she caught her breath, and started to continue, but stuttered as she tried to give him a proper excuse.

He took her waist again and pulled her close, holding her against his chest as she cried. "Sarah, I wish I could help you. I am bound by magic to the laws of the Labyrinth. I find loopholes, but I am afraid that there is not much around your circumstance," he breathed into her hair as she sobbed.

Everything was falling apart, she didn't understand how she could feel so torn. Jareth felt her emotions and remembered the song he sang her so long ago,

"There's such a sad love,

deep in your eyes

A kind of paled jewel,

opened and closed,

within your eyes,

I'll place the sky within your eyes."

Sarah fell silent and looked into his face with wide, innocent eyes.

"There's such a fooled heart,

Beating so fast

in search of new dreams,

A love that will last,

Within your heart,

I'll place the moon within your heart.

"As the pain sweeps through,

Makes no sense for you,

Every thrill has gone,

Wasn't too much fun at all,

"But I'll be there for you

As the world falls down."

Jareth paused, realizing how well the lyrics fit her. He had not understood them then, failed to understand the destiny behind them. He could feel nothing but Sarah's presence, his world was consumed by her.

Sarah caught her breath, "Wh- what?" he stared with no sign of hearing her. "What did you say?"

Their eyes were locked intensely. "It's your song."

"Mine?" Sarah appeared confused.

"When I sang to you the song in the ballroom crystal, the song formed of it's own accord, like your crystal. Since I made the crystal, it came from my own emotions."

Sarah shook her head in confusion, not daring to accept what he was saying, "Why is it mine though?"

"I made the crystal for you. It was you who inspired it. And look how it fits," he trailed off, wiping another tear from her cheek.

She barely murmured, "It's falling in love," and reached her arms around his torso, burying her head in his shoulder. Jareth stroked her hair and breathed in the scent of rose and lilac. Never before had he felt so whole. They remained still for a long time, feeling the other move with each breath. Sarah's legs buckled slightly and Jareth conjured their sofa underneath them. He pulled them onto the cushions and they made themselves comfortable, Jareth leaning against one arm of the sofa and Sarah tucked neatly into his side with her back nestled against his chest.

Once settled for a moment, Sarah turned to look at Jareth. He smiled and wiped away another one of her tears. She laughed, contrary to her face. "I'm not sure that I have ever cried this much in one day before in my life," her body shuddered as she gasped another breath.

"Is it really that hard to be here?" He knew that he would have no difficulty making a decision were he in the same position

Silence seemed to echo as Sarah searched her heart for the words. "I worry about my family. I know I will miss them. And my friends, it is hard to leave them behind."

"You speak as if you already live here," electric sparks of excitement shot through his spine as he spoke.

"I feel as if I do. You must understand, it is very strange being in such a foreign land and not knowing when I will return home, if ever," Sarah searched his face, he seemed confused. Her eyes focused on his dilated pupil and wished to understand his expression.

Suddenly, as if Jareth had spoken the words aloud Sarah knew what he was wondering. "I was only going to stay in Spain for three weeks, I knew that I would go home then and I was sure my family would be there at the airport waiting for me. Here it is different. I left without warning and I don't believe I am even allowed to return home should the desire arise."

Jareth blinked and touched his head as if to mitigate some headache. "If you live here, you may visit your home. I cannot have visitors from the Aboveground returning here frequently though. It unbalances the magic, and it is very taxing to reorder time." Jareth smirked and Sarah gave a small laugh.

"And yet you did it for me," she smiled.

Jareth kissed her cheek and pushed his face into her hair. It smelled so fresh and felt like nothing he had ever imagined.

"Sometimes it is worth the effort."


	4. Things Are Not What They Seem

**Chapter Four**

**Things Are Not What They Seem**

Sleep had crept onto Sarah and when she awoke around four in the morning she was in her own bed. Once again the graceful white nightgown was on her, its soft fabric comforting in itself. At this point she was wide awake and it seemed useless to try to sleep. She rolled out of bed and dressed in a floor length green leather bodice dress. It curiously split up the front and back and laced itself from the split to the top on both of the sides. She slipped on some leather pants and riding boots that reminded her of Jareth.

The air outside her window was clear and crisp. Light was just beginning to fan the sky in the horizon. Sarah found her way back to the terrace and watched as the stars faded from the sky. Once it was light enough to see well, she wandered into the gardens. As she reached the bottom of the set of steps, she saw a tall woman wrapped in a black shawl walking off around to the front of the castle. She was no more than twenty feet away, and just as Sarah began to look away she dropped something.

"Excuse me, you dropped something," the woman did not look back but continued moving along, perhaps increasing her speed. Sarah ran over to the dropped item and realized it was a glistening purple plum. It was smooth and cool in her hand as she picked it off the ground, "Hello!" she called again but the woman soon vanished around the wall.

Sarah wondered if she was a servant collecting the fruit, she might have been an old woman who was hard of hearing. But that did not explain why she seemed to speed her walk. "Besides she had to have been Fae, and then she would not be a servant. Maybe she was not supposed to be here and did not want to be caught taking fruit. Oh well," Sarah looked at the plum. It had a very reflective surface, as if it had just been washed. She strolled into the garden and sat on a bench by a fountain.

Just then, Sarah heard a faint and familiar voice calling her name. She turned and looked up at the castle and noticed a balcony up near where her window. Jareth was waving to her and she returned the greeting.

"I will be down in a moment, wait there!" he shouted, though it sounded as if he were merely whispering her name.

Sarah smiled and felt her stomach turn. She looked again to the plum and decided to make it a light snack before breakfast. She sunk her teeth into the tempting fruit, anticipating its sweet and refreshing taste. To her surprise, it had an thoroughly unusual flavor, as if it had been blended with strawberries but at the same time had the earthy flavor of potato skin. She chewed it thoughtfully and swallowed carefully. Despite being a very unique flavor, she seemed to remember it from somewhere, she just could not recall where.

Her eyes focused on the fountain and marveled as the water seemed to flow up and the sprays swirled around in the air as if gravity were of no consequence. Next to her grew some daisies. Before her eyes they all bloomed and began to sway with some unheard music. A butterfly whirled through the air and also took up the sway as it circled Sarah's head, beating it's wings to a slow time. On the ground, the gravel took up with the beat and the gardenia bushes joined.

"Where is it?" she rose, looking for the nonexistent music, "What is doing this?" through the pathways she wandered, sinking to the grass beneath a magnolia tree.

"Sarah!" Jareth hailed, running to her. "Why were you walking away? Could you not hear me?"

Sarah turned glazed eyes in his direction but they could only seem to focus on the dancing earth, "Jareth, look at them!" he turned and glanced around, sinking to study her face.

"What is it?" he took her shoulders, "Sarah, what's wrong?"

"I want to dance with them! Let us go dance," she tried to rise and Jareth helped her.

Confusion set the exotic brows of the King, "What do you mean?"

Sarah suddenly brought her attention to Jareth, her eyes wide and serious. Then she began to giggle, "Have you been giving me peaches again?"

"I don't understand you-" he broke off, remembering the enchanted peach. She was having the same experience now. "Did you eat something?"

"I found it, over there," she pointed vaguely back toward the castle. "I wanted to eat it. Where is this place?"

"Eat what? Sarah, you must tell me how you found it!" he shook her, but her body grew limp in his arms and she began to sink to the ground again. Her face was paling and her eyes closed. Jareth lowered her to the ground and batted her face to keep her conscious. When her eyes flipped open sleepily, he saw that they were clouding over.

"I am so tired, let me rest for just a bit. It is so dark and cold now that I don't think we could dance. I forgot why I wanted to dance with you."

Jareth realized that she had been poisoned with some magic fruit, but not the same way he had poisoned her eight years ago. This was far more serious. She was dying. "No! Sarah stay awake, stay with me," he panicked.

"Just one little nap, but I could sleep forever. It's not long at all, you know. Someone told me that onetime," her eyes closed and he felt her pulse weaken. There was only one thing he could do.

"I love you Sarah," he murmured, blinking back tears.

"I love you too."

Wind began to blow fiercely and Sarah seemed to turn to sand and blow away with it, trickling out of Jareth's arms as a tear trickled down his cheek.

"Jareth!"

Sarah sat upright in bed. She was at home, in her old bed. The ballroom music box sat on a shelf nearby, one of the few precious reminders of childhood. Next to it lay the red bound book.

Sarah looked at the clock, nine in the morning. What had happened?

"No, it can't be…" she felt her head, but found no trace of the injury she thought she had sustained. There had been a small bump before. But why did she have a bump? It was fading quickly, like a dream that is thought about too hard. She had been in the Underground again, just like all her other dreams. This one had felt so real though, she had been with the King, they had argued, but something happened and she forgave him. They had-

"Oh!" Sarah blushed as she remembered kissing the King. "But why am I here now? We were just going to go walk in the garden, he had called to me,-"

"Sarah, breakfast!" her dad called from the kitchen.

"No! It was only a dream?"

"Sarah, are you up?"

"Yes dad, I'll be right down," she called back, attempting to smear tears from her face. It had felt so real this time, just like the first time she had been into the Labyrinth. She had let herself believe that she was finally right, that she was not just over-imaginative. Yet again, she was wrong.

She was wearing black silk pajamas. The same ones she had bought in Spain. "Spain! I thought I was in Spain! What is going on?" she ran downstairs, slipping and twisting her ankle. The pain didn't register.

"Morning Saz! Are you alright? You look terrified."

"Why am I here? What day is it?" her father looked disbelievingly at her. "Tell me now!"

"It's Sunday, you just got home yesterday night. You were really tired, so we let you sleep in a bit, but you need to get back on American-time. You don't want jet-lag!" He tried to sound cheerful, but his face reflected the worry in his mind.

"Yesterday? I don't remember it at all. I don't even remember anything from the last week!"

"Do you want to see a doctor? Maybe you are stressing out again. Should you go back to the shrink?"

"No! I don't want to go anywhere!"

"No need to yell honey. Do you want eggs?"

Sarah looked at her father with exasperation. In truth, she probably should see her shrink. If she told the shrink the truth though, she would be admitting that she was only dreaming.

"Sarah?"

"I'm going up to my room. I think I need to sleep some more" she quietly went back upstairs and into her room. The lock clicked behind her. Light poured in through her window and she yanked the curtains closed, fighting bitter tears.

She had thought it was real. It had _felt_ so real. She didn't want to be back here, in the Aboveground. Tight laughter escaped her lips. "And just a few days ago you wanted home. But I guess those weren't even days were they?"

An idea took her mind quickly. She hurried out of her room and into the bathroom. In the box of pills and band-aids, she found what she had been looking for: a large bottle of sleeping pills. Her stepmother had suffered from insomnia years ago, before she and Sarah started to get along. Sarah dashed back to her room with a cup of water.

"If I am only happy when I dream, then I may as well sleep," she took two pills at once, then popped a third for good measure. In her mind, she realized she could overdose; in her heart, she did not care.

Several minutes later Sarah was in a deep sleep. The last thing she saw was her music box.

"Sarah! Sarah please wake up!" Toby was screaming in her ear. Her eyes flipped open. The room was only lit by the large pale moon outside and Toby's flashlight, but it was enough to see the look of fear upon his face. It was clear that he had been trying to wake her for a while.

"What's up, little guy?" She mumbled sleepily, then remembered what had happened before she fell asleep. The expression on his face relieved slightly once Toby heard his big sister awaken, but it still betrayed a look of shock.

Suddenly she realized that she couldn't remember why she had been so upset. _I had realized something, something very upsetting. I felt let down, but why?_

Toby laughed a little, still clearly disturbed, "You were sleeping really soundly. I couldn't even tell if you were breathing, and you felt so cold. I got scared."

"I got really tired. I'm alright," she added, his face relaxing a bit more. "What's wrong?"

"I had a nightmare," he clutched Lancelot a little tighter. "Can I tell you about it?"

"Sure," even at age nine, Toby still loved his stuffed bear. Ever since Toby was a toddler he had crept into Sarah's room when he felt afraid or had a nightmare. Once she left for college, Sarah had told him to call her anytime. Now that he was older, she told him about dream theories and together analyzed their dreams. He was the only person who knew about Sarah's Labyrinth dreams.

"I was walking along a hedge. It was really twisty, like a maze."

"Like in Labyrinth?" she glanced at the red-bound book.

"Yeah. It was nighttime. Pretty soon I reached a clearing. There was a tree in the middle. I kept walking to the tree, and then a big owl flew out at me."

"Was the owl white like the Goblin King?"

"Uh huh, and the owl turned into him, too. I was scared at first because in the dream I thought he would make me into a goblin like the other little kids, but then I realized he was friendly. Then he bent over and put his hand on my shoulder and he asked me if you were okay."

"He did?" she was startled by this. What she would give to have dreams about the Labyrinth. "I wish I would have dreams with the Goblin King."

"What do you mean? You always dream about him."

Sarah strained to remember a dream, but realized that she couldn't think of any. It was as if she had never dreamed before but felt some sort of gap where her dreams should be.

"I don't remember them anymore," she tried to shake off the worried look that Toby gave her. "Oh well, keep going."

"Alright," he hesitated. "Then he told me that he was worried about you and he thought that something bad might happen to you," he paused, clearly thinking about Sarah's strange behavior. "He told me that you had been there and something bad had happened and you had to return to the Aboveground. He didn't want you to leave because he was afraid you would forget him and then something bad would happen again and he couldn't help you."

Sarah laughed a little, "Believe me, if I had the chance to meet Jareth I would never forget it," she sighed, but Toby cut her off.

"He told me you would say that too! I think something magical happened to make you forget, Sarah! I think you really were in the Underground."

"Whoa, slow down there. I haven't been anywhere recently."

"You were in Spain yesterday though," Toby seemed puzzled.

"I was?"

"Yes, you told us it was a really, really boring plane trip back."

"Funny, I don't even remember it now."

"See? You can't remember. Maybe you can't remember being in the Underground either," he looked up into her face. Sarah was deep in thought. Some flash of the morning before had caught her mind: She was scared that she had forgotten her flight experience and remembered something else from that time. What was it?

"What else did the King tell you?"

"He said that he was worried someone would try to hurt you here but that you wouldn't remember that he could save you. He can't talk to you because then whoever hurt you might find you before he could by poking his mind-"

"You mean probing?" something else flashed through her mind.

"Yeah. What does that mean?"

"The same thing as poking. It's when you can see someone's memories." Where had she learned that?

"Anyway, he wanted me to check on you. It wasn't really a nightmare I guess, but I did get scared when I couldn't wake you up."

Sarah didn't respond. She was thinking very hard. _I must remember. What happened? It's like I hit my head- Wait! I did hid my head. It was after Jareth had probed my mind. But there is more. Remember, Sarah! Remember how it felt, remember every little detail._

Sarah pulled her hand out form the comforter and twisted it around to scratch her forehead but she suddenly felt something grow in her hand. She let out a little scream and sat up, grabbing Toby's flashlight. She shone the beam around and it spotted on a floating orb.

"Sarah, it's a crystal! And look, you can see people inside it!" They leaned closer and sure enough, there was Jareth. He was wearing a mask and a long cape. Sarah took Toby's hand and broke the crystal. Once again she was in the ballroom. She recognized the crystal from the balcony. Suddenly memories were coursing through her mind and she remembered every little detail from the past week. It seemed to fly by instantly, slowing down as Sarah picked a plum off the ground and then skipping to her taking a bite. Jareth ran to her and she could feel his anguish, something she had not felt at the time. She remembered the strange dancing sensation, but this time she could detect what Jareth was thinking. He was afraid. She saw herself dying in his arms, but he forced her out of the Underground and back into a domain where magic could not harm her. _I love you Sarah. _"I love you too, Jareth."

Toby and Sarah were sitting on Sarah's bed again, hands clenched tightly.

"Sarah," Toby breathed. "Did that really happen?"

"Yes, it did. Do you understand it? Was it too fast for you?"

"It felt like a long time to me."

"It has only been a few minutes at the most-"

"You kissed the Goblin King?" Toby laughed. Sarah giggled and playfully pushed him. She was glad that they had not done anything but kiss so far, considering that her little brother might have seen them.

Toby was giggling too, but caught his breath, "What did you mean when you said that I wasn't a part of your wish this time?"

Sarah stopped laughing immediately. She knew that she needed to tell him about last time, but she also knew that she needed to find Jareth.

"I wish I had time to tell you, but I have to go back."

"Why don't you make another crystal?"

Sarah thought for a moment. "Well, I suppose I could try." She summoned all her thoughts from the first adventure in the Underground and twisted her wrist. This was getting easier. "Toby, I promise you that I learned a lot the last time I was in the Labyrinth and I love you very much. I will talk to you soon, but in the meantime I need to get back. Do you want to wait and meet Jareth?"

"Yeah!" Toby jumped up onto his knees.

"Alright," she cleared her throat dramatically. Toby giggled again. "I wish that Jareth would come and take me away _right now_!" she said.

Outside the wind began to blow fiercely and she quickly rose and opened the window. Sarah saw the white owl soaring closer and she stepped to the side. With a flash of lightning, he was in the room. In a swirl of feathers and fabric, the owl grew into a man. The cape fluttered itself into the same brown leather one that he had worn eight years ago and blew away form his face to reveal the piercing mismatched eyes.

"Hello there Toby. Nice to see you again." Toby climbed off the bed and shyly smiled at the King. "You did a great job. I don't know how I can thank you!"

"It was nothing," Toby peeked up at the king.

"Sarah, I thought I might never see you again until I remembered Toby. I knew that he often told you about his nightmares because he interrupted your dreams. I visited him in just the same way I used to visit you," he broke off and stepped forward to hug her tightly. Sarah felt tears on his cheeks. "I love you."

"I love you too," their lips met briefly, and then Jareth turned back to Toby.

"If it is alright with your sister, I would like very much to have you come visit me at my castle sometime. Tonight is not a good time though, Sarah and I have to find whoever tried to hurt her. We will make you a crystal telling you all about our adventure once we are finished. I am going to charm everyone to forget about Sarah except for you until she comes back to visit again."

"Is that why she didn't remember flying home from Spain?" he asked.

Jareth smiled in wonderment, "Exactly."

Sarah bent down and gave him a big hug and kiss. "You can't talk about me to anyone until I come back, okay?" Toby nodded. "Don't forget about the crystal over there. Just touch it once you are ready."

"Alright. Bye Sarah! Bye-" Toby looked at Jareth.

"You may call me Jareth," Toby blushed and mumbled another farewell to Jareth.

Jareth wrapped his arms tightly around Sarah and she did the same, leaning her head against his chest as they were transported back into the Underground.


	5. History

**Chapter Five**

**History**

Sarah and Jareth landed in the library adjacent to Sarah's room. A wind of undeterminable source blew strongly for a moment and then died away, leaving the two in silence for a beat.

As soon as the commotion had faded, Jareth placed kisses in Sarah's hair and hugged her tightly again.

Jareth spoke with scared emotion, "Sarah, I was so afraid that something was going to harm you. I wasn't even sure you had survived-"

"I am still not sure what happened. I ate the plum and it was enchanted, like the peach from years ago, and then you sent me back home. The poison stopped working, but it still made me forget what had happened. It's all clear now-"

"How did you ever manage to remember?" Jareth interjected.

"Toby- when you sent him to me it began to jog my memory and somehow I made a memory crystal. We watched it, so now Toby understands what happened as well."

With a graceful movement, Jareth pulled Sarah onto the sofa and they sat together as Sarah finished explaining her experience.

"I am glad everything went so smoothly. I hoped that the magic could not reach you in the Aboveground, but it must have been powerful enough to carry part of the charm into the next realm. I am just so relieved that the other charm was not strong enough. I wish I could have done something sooner. I was afraid that whoever dropped the poisoned plum would be able to locate you through me. If the spell was that strong, I would not doubt that he can also read minds. Should I have contacted you, he might have easily searched for your whereabouts. Using Toby as an indirect communication seemed to work well however, and once you wished for me it was too late for anyone to find you and harm you."

"I know, you did the best you could," she placed a kiss on his lips. It struck her as remarkable how a few days ago she would have laughed at this intimate behavior. "I am much better now," she left her words to ring through the room. They enjoyed a repose from their eventful day. The clock struck two. Sarah had not even been gone for twenty four hours but it had felt like at least a week.

Jareth broke the silence, "Are you tired?"

"No. I had been sleeping for over twelve hours. And you?"

He laughed sadly, "Exhausted."

"Oh no! I must let you sleep. I will occupy myself, but I can't make you stay up any longer on my account," she began to rise, breaking their contact.

"Sarah?" his plaintive voice spoke.

"Yes?"

"I am afraid to leave you alone. Whoever gave you that plum must have some terrible grudge against one of us, and I know it will be entirely impossible to sleep a wink without knowing you are safe," he paused, unsure how to phrase the next line with etiquette. He cleared his throat. "Not to imply anything, but would you mind if we shared a room tonight? It would make me feel much more secure having you closer." Sarah tried not to smile. "What I mean to say is-"

She laughed, "I agree. Perhaps you can enchant me to sleep and we can rest peacefully through the night. I will feel much safer being near you." Sarah now felt at ease near her King and honestly felt it would be a much safer arrangement. She had faith that he would not take advantage of her without her unimpeded consent. Besides, comfortable warmth surrounded her at the idea of simply sharing a room with Jareth.

"If you don't mind, I believe we will be more comfortable in my room," Jareth broke into her thoughts.

"Certainly."

They rose together and Jareth led her just down the hall to his chambers. It was a large room with a wide balcony, enormous windows, a high ceiling, cozy fireplace, and facing the windows was the bed. It was much larger than any bed Sarah had ever seen, all in fluffy white down blankets and pillows. A black silk canopy hung over the immense arrangement. Jareth produced a crystal which he broke in his hand and her graceful, and tasteful, nightgown appeared. He handed it to her and directed her to the bathroom. As he walked off she heard him say he would change garments in his closet.

Sarah marveled at the large bathroom. It was spacious and immaculate, filling her with a sense of peace. She changed and washed her face. As she suspected, her hair was dry again with one shake. Unsure what to do with her silk pajamas, she managed to make a crystal that turned into a wooden box. She also conjured a toothbrush and toothpaste, smiling at her achievement. Once finished, she placed these in the box as well. She then set it to one side and emerged.

Jareth was sitting on a black velvet sofa, rather like the one from their dungeon magic lesson, and had started to conjure blankets and pillows. He was wearing only his black tights, which were unmercifully tight and even more revealing without any cape to distract the eye. Sarah blushed as she watched him bend to arrange the pillows. His Royal Highness certainly had a charming physique. She walked over and stood by him, expecting him to offer this to her.

"Please, you may use my bed. I will sleep here." Sarah looked at the enormous bed and back to Jareth.

"Alright," she walked over and carefully climbed into his bed. It was the most comfortable bed she had ever had the pleasure of laying upon, but incredibly large. Three more people might have fit comfortably. Laying there, she felt very alone. Jareth was still arranging the sofa, and Sarah sat up and thought of what to say.

"Jareth?" he turned to gaze innocently upon her face. He must have seen her blush, for he too began to blush. "I, well, if you are not uncomfortable with the idea, I would not mind sharing the bed with you."

He blinked and opened his mouth to speak, "Are you sure you would not feel in a compromised position? That is, any more compromised?"

"Not at all; it is a large bed anyway. I don't think I would be able to sleep here alone even if you enchanted me."

For a moment he simply stood and stared at her. Then he looked to the sofa and back to her. "Well, if you have no objections-?"

She smiled and he took that as reassurance. Seven graceful strides brought him to the other side of the bed and he slid in somewhere to her right. Sarah edged closer to him and he did likewise. A wave of his hand extinguished the lights, the moon set the room with a blue and silver glow. They settled their heads upon the pillows and let silence fall between them.

About a minute passed before Sarah ventured timidly, "Jareth?"

"Mmm?"

"I can't sleep."

He sat up a little, "Oh yes, I need to enchant you-"

"No, I feel fatigued now. I suppose the travel does that. It's just-"

"Should I move to the couch? If you are uncomfortable I can move-"

"Can we move a little closer together? After all, it's not as if we need to deny the fact that we are sharing a room." She hoped she did not sound too forward, but she could sense that he was quite touched.

"Alright."

They each slid into the middle of the bed and Jareth pressed a goodnight kiss to her lips before they settled. The black canopy lit with enchanted stars one by one.

Golden dawn was saturating the room as Sarah opened her eyes. For a moment she was startled to find herself in an entirely different room and was even more startled to find the Goblin King lightly spooning her, his arm wrapped securely around her waist. In an instant she recalled the enormously turbulent past few days and was relieved to wake with a memory. Yesterday's awakening had not been met nearly as well.

She smiled with the contrast, and nestled a little closer.

After a time, Sarah began to doze lightly once more. As a clock struck seven, Jareth began to stir. Sarah giggled when she felt him jump involuntarily, and as his own realization set in she rolled over in within his protective arm to face him.

"Good morning, my King," she said with a sly smile. "Did you rest well?"

"Good morning, my pet. I most certainly did," he responded sleepily.

Sarah giggled again as he kissed her lips tenderly. Some miraculous Underground magic seemed to eliminate morning breath entirely.

Jareth and Sarah had bathed and dressed before meeting in the King's office to investigate the attempt on Sarah's life. Sarah wore a simple red linen dress with a square cut neck line, and Jareth sported his usual striking tights, boots, open poet shirt, and resting on the nearby chair were his gloves and high-necked leather cape. Spread on a large table was an enchanted map of the Underground. The two sipped mint and honey tea as Jareth pointed out the neighboring kingdoms.

"Here to the north of the Goblin Kingdom is Desvida, the land of Vampires. There are also many other creatures that the Aboveground believe to be spirits, werewolves, and banshees. They all live amongst mortals. Some have moved to the Aboveground," he paused to sip the sweet tea.

"Do you believe this kingdom is a threat?"

"Not really. We have been at peace for many years. Occasionally we accept some of their exiled because they will not prey upon the Goblins nor can they harm Fae because of their magic. In a few rare circumstances, intermarriage between the vampires and the Fae have occurred. It makes sense because of our shared immortality. The vampires can feed without killing. In fact, it is believed that our ancestors came from the same origins.

"However, there are several orthodox Vampires that are very adamantly against intermarrying species. They believe in the sport of the kill and do not approve of adulterating their powers. A relationships with a kingdom of mixed-blood rulers would certainly bother them, especially considering my ancestry. My great-great grandmother married a vampire, though the traits have not seemed to pass through the lineage much."

Sarah nodded pensively. Jareth walked to the eastern border of the Goblin Kingdom, "This is Camelot. You will have read of it in _The Once and Future King_. It is a true history of the realm, including the magic and sorcery. Like the book that you doted upon," he gestured out the window to the enormous Labyrinth, "_The Once and Future King_ is another escaped book. Somehow it was brought up to the Aboveground.

"Much of Camelot's magic originates from the Goblin Kingdom; Most of the kingdoms are connected somewhere in the past," Jareth paused and looked at Sarah, "The threat may also come form a powerful sorcerer from this realm. We are on good terms with Camelot, but some of these sorcerers are beyond the reach of laws."

Sarah set her drained cup onto the tray, "But why would anyone want to kill me? Do you have enemies that would know of our-" she stopped herself from saying 'relationship'.

"There are political reasons. If I were to marry you, it would ruin the chances of inheriting a large amount of land. Many of the more eccentric sorcerers, such as Morgan le Fay, are very greedy. They do not have the same physical bonds to the magic as we Fae have, which allows them to use their powers for… somewhat questionable motives," Jareth placed his cup next to Sarah's and turned to gaze out the window.

"I did go back to find and examine the plum after I sent you home (At that point I was rather concerned with avenging you). Worms had destroyed most of it, they are a part of the plan to remove evidence, but when I held the pit I was able to sense something. Magic often leaves a strong presence of the person who used it, and in this case I felt the presence of a dangerous sorceress named Andromeda the Beauty. She is a distant descendant of Morgan le Fay, and has lusted after the Goblin Kingdom for nearly a century. Her spells and potions keep her appearance youthful. She is mortal, like the rest of her Kingdom, but she may live for several more centuries yet thanks to some Fae blood in her veins as well as her magic," he paced back to the map and stared at it as if looking for an answer.

"But that does not explain why she would attempt to kill me, " Sarah quietly joined him and peered into his stoic face. He heaved a great sigh and looked to the ground.

"Many years ago, when she was still a young mortal of twenty-three, we were engaged."

Sarah stared at him blankly, "What?"

"Our parents had connived to let us meet each other and we did seem to fall in love," he closed his eyes as if he were afraid to look at Sarah. "We became engaged, mostly from pressuring me. It was around that time that I learned to probe minds. She had been acting strange and her parents even stranger, so I probed her mind one evening and discovered that her parents had convinced her that she should marry a king and bring royal blood into their family. Besides that, they were greedy for land and expected to inherit my entire kingdom once they arranged for my death. I broke the engagement once I discovered her true motives," he rubbed his eyes as if attempting to mitigate some blinding pain. "Needless to say, I was deeply hurt and felt entirely betrayed. It was too late to retract the powers I had given her and she had already learned quite a bit of magic. I suppose she continued learning from master wizards in Camelot, because when I next heard of her she was considered the most powerful witch in the kingdom."

Sarah was unsure whether to feel pity or infuriation upon hearing this piece of evidence, but calmed herself into remembering that it was all long before her birth and that Jareth could not have known of her existence. She slipped an arm around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder.

Jareth seemed greatly relieved by this action, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "Some twenty years ago, I felt an extraordinary presence overwhelm me. I felt it again when I saw you for the first time just before I came to take your brother. I tried to dismiss it, but within thirteen hours you had convinced me that you are my true love. And now," he brushed a strand of her hair from her face and kissed her forehead. "I love you, and I will do anything in my power to protect you."

Sarah felt a wave of guilt, remembering that moment as the Escher room shattered away: _You have no power over me._ She had wondered about that moment every night before she fell asleep. Why had she been forced to choose between her innocent brother and the man that she subconsciously knew she loved?

"I love you, Jareth. I knew I loved you on the thirteenth hour as I saw your face fade away. I hadn't had the nerves to accept what I saw until then."

They shared this moment for a long time, then kissed quickly and turned back to the map. It was difficult to allow themselves to concentrate, but it had to be done.

Jareth guided Sarah from the tower office and together they began to descend to the dungeons. He felt it would be best to continue with another magic lesson so that Sarah could have some, even if minimal, defense should Andromeda confront her again. In his mind it was clear that Andromeda had been the dark and mysterious woman that had pretended to hobble away. The presence of her magic was too strong. She had never been good at hiding her magic trails.

The walk down the tower was long and the path into the dungeon room was even longer. In affectionate silence, they navigated the stairs down to the main floor and began their journey into the east wing.

"Toby is such a remarkable child. If it were not for him, you would be in the Aboveground completely unaware of your experiences here. I don't know what I would have done. I'm sure that whoever attacked you, possibly Andromeda, would have had you killed once she found you."

Sarah stopped walking abruptly, "Can she have already discovered that I am back here with you?"

"If she has probed my mind, then yes. I have not felt anything, but she is much more skilled than most," he again reached to tame that unruly lock of hair, but Sarah stepped back, eyes unfocused in concentration.

"Then couldn't she know where Toby is?" Sarah asked with a trace of fear.

A jolt of panic shot through the room and caused a bolt of lightning to strike a tree outside.

Jareth created a crystal quickly, "We must bring him here so that he will be safe with us. Take my hand-" he added unnecessarily; Sarah was clinging to his arm already.

With a fierce wind and the shattering of crystal, Jareth and Sarah vanished away to the Aboveground.

Icy wind gushed through the open windows as a swirl of glitter, crystal, and Jareth's black cape formed into a Goblin King and a young woman. They had appeared in Toby's room. In the Underground it had been late morning, but here there was pale moonlight shining through the windows and casting long shadows across the floor.

Sarah immediately rushed through the door and into the hallway, calling for Toby. She turned and headed for her room, only to find that the door was missing.

"Jareth, where is my room?" she cried in a panic. Jareth quickly opened the hall closet so that the door pressed against the wall where her door once was, turned the handle, and closed it again while at the same time opening the wall to her bedroom. She assumed that it had been Jareth's way of preserving her presence in the Aboveground while removing any traces of her existence. However, she took no time to dwell on this. She frantically ran into the room, calling her brother.

Sarah looked around quickly, but only saw Lancelot lying on the floor. She stooped to pick him up and as she rose she noticed something reflecting the moon. It was a crystal. At first Sarah thought it was the crystal she had given Toby, but then she saw that it was solid and rested neatly next to her music box. Jareth stood next to her as she bent to examine it.

"This isn't mine…" Sarah squinted her eyes and tried to make sense of the blurs in the sphere.

"She's been here, I can feel it," Jareth murmured. "But something is not right."

The blurs began to form into the image of Toby. Sarah cried out and grabbed for Jareth. The young child was alone and crying in a stone cell that resembled the dungeon rooms at the Castle Beyond the Goblin City. He curled into a tight ball on a canvas cot and wailed for Sarah and Jareth.

Sarah burst into tears and fell into Jareth's embrace, unable to breathe or speak. She fought to control her emotions and opened her eyes to look over Jareth's shoulder.

A tall, dark haired woman stood by Sarah's bed. She began to laugh softly, her low voice penetrating the silence that had taken possession of the room.

"How touching," she purred. Jareth whipped around and attempted to step in front of Sarah, who grasped his arm in silent bid to allow her to stand her ground. Despite his fears, Jareth resumed post by her side.

The woman flipped her black hair over one shoulder with a graceful hand, "You are so clouded with emotion that you can't even feel me behind you. I always could tell you were weak, Jareth."

Sarah bristled when she heard her speak. Jareth was not at all weak, and the way she seductively pronounced his name was more than she could stand.

"Andromeda. Still bitter? Pity. I always thought you were better than that," Jareth placed a hand on his hip and assumed his typical Goblin King stance.

"Don't play games with me, Jareth. I know all your little tricks. After all, you taught them to me so well," she flashed a glance to Sarah, pursing her red lips in obvious pleasure at Sarah's rising temper. She placed a hand on her hip and mimicked his stance with a feminine twist. The two exchanged steely looks.

"Give me the child," Sarah pronounced, her mind snapping to the old speech.

Andromeda laughed, her eyes closing and head tilting back. "Well well! The little girl knows her lines. Too bad they won't help her now. You will find that I, unlike our Fae friend here," she gestured casually to Jareth, "am not bound by incantations and silly word games. I rule magic. It obeys me, whereas Jareth finds the roles reversed. He is a slave to his own trade," her dark eyes met his in mocking stare.

Sarah stepped forward, Jareth grabbing her arm forcefully. "What do you want?"

"Oh, the direct approach. I suppose I only want what we all seem to desire: a friend, companion, perhaps an apprentice. It is not so much, is it? You and Jareth seem so happy together, so why shouldn't I be as well?" Her voice was sickly sweet, her eyes challenging Sarah to oppose her.

"I want my brother back," she met the stare, "And I will have him back, now."

"I'm sorry, little Sarah, but I have no reason to give back the boy. He will grow fast enough with my magic to help him, and he will fear me and love me like a fawning slave. He will be my son, my heir, the child I should have had. The child you might have had, Jareth, had you only listened to your instincts."

Jareth cut her off here, "You must return the child, you will harm him by using powerful magic. You want something from me, Andromeda. I know your sly plots firsthand."

"Sadly, you are wrong again. You never were victim of any of my plots, and you have nothing to offer me. I have taken my prize, and there is nothing you can do to make me change my mind."

Jareth raised his hand as if to make a crystal, but Sarah caught it as Andromeda lifted her own. The three stood still for a moment.

"Raising your hand to strike a sorceress? Certainly you realize your position. Either way you will lose. Fight me and I will be sure you regret it for the remainder of your life," her voice was quick with passion. There was no doubting her power of both magic and persuasion: She could easily harm either of the Williams in the blink of an eye.

She laughed as resignation set over his features. "Long live the King," she whispered in Jareth's face, then exploded into a glittering black dust that dissipated as it settled to the ground.

Sarah screamed as she felt herself falling back into the Underground.

"No! Jareth, let go! Let me go! I have to get him back, Jareth. I have to-" Sarah's face already hurt from crying. Too much had happened in the past few days and it was beginning to take its toll. Jareth's arms were around her, but she could feel no warmth. She tried with all the strength she had remaining to break free of his grasp, and started beating him with her fists. Finally he relinquished and stepped back. They were in Jareth's room again, late-afternoon light streaming through the windows.

"Take me to her now. I have to get Toby back-"

"Or what, Sarah? And how? There is nothing for you to do. You know that she will kill either you or Toby if you try to storm her castle, and if she kills you then she will keep Toby or kill him as well. It is futile, Sarah!"

"So what then? You are just going to give up and forget him? We can't do that. I can't."

"It's all we can do until she changes her mind," Jareth attempted to consol her and remain strong.

Sarah stared at him in shock, "I can't believe you! You are supposed to be the one with courage and power, not her. You are a coward, and I am not going to let her keep him. I already had Toby taken from me once because of you and I will not let it happen again."

Anger coursed through Jareth and hardened his face, "Are you suggesting that this is my fault? I beg you to mind your tongue."

"Of course this is your fault! You should have thought about Toby's safety! In fact, you shouldn't have ever even taken him in the first place. All you have ever brought me is trouble and pain," Jareth stood straight and stepped toward her. She knew she was angering him but also knew that she was making him more vulnerable. "None of this is Toby's fault! It is not fair to just let him be taken away!"

"Life's not fair Sarah, that's just the way it is," Jareth tried once more to soothe her and check his rising temper.

"No, it's not; I learned that the last time someone tried to steal my brother. But that doesn't mean we have to accept it. I am going to get my brother back if I die trying." With this, she stormed from the room and down the hall and into her own bedchambers. The door shut with a loud bang and she immediately had to force back tears. She couldn't let herself be weak for Toby. It was important that she set off at once to find him.

In the wardrobe she found some more practical clothes for the long journey she knew she would face. She pulled on the leather pants, blouse, and bodice and then started to lace up the tall leather boots. Out the window she could see the tall mountains of the east. "It's not that far…" she muttered to herself. At that moment Jareth burst into the room. She casually tightened one boot and moved onto the other.

"Haven't you ever tried knocking?"

"I need not remind you that you are in my castle and I may come and go as I wish. I will not let you go to retrieve your brother, and I have good reason for it," she continued lacing her boot and ignoring him. Jareth grabbed her chin and forced her to look into his face. Startled by the hostility, Sarah stonily obeyed. He softened his tone slightly, "Andromeda has a score to settle with me and she is manipulating you into doing it for her. You must see that you will gain nothing by rushing to Toby's aid. She will kill you if you leave this kingdom, and even if you managed to reach your brother, she would not hesitate to kill him. If you die, she will still have Toby to raise as her son and heir simply to spite me. And if she kills you, she will make the first step in winning the kingdom. I can't live without you, Sarah. I would fall apart if something happened to you, and she knows it. Someway or another she would take the kingdom from me, and then she will have won."

Sarah felt torn between her brother and the man standing before her. Not just the man, but his kingdom as well. If the kingdom fell into Andromeda's hands, any number of horrible things could happen.

Her voice crackled, "And if you go to her?"

"She will not yield to me unless I give her the kingdom," he hoped silently that she would understand the implications of such a trade. He could not deliver his kingdom to a greedy witch.

Sarah sighed deeply and stood to face Jareth, her shoulders squared and face determined. Her mind raced for some loophole. Suddenly her shoulders slumped and she fell onto his shoulder. She had come to the painful realization that for once there was absolutely nothing she could do to help her brother. She did not cry this time, all her tears were spent. Instead, she began the difficult process of accepting their new life.


	6. The Anniversary

**Chapter Six**

**The Anniversary **

Nearly a year passed. Sarah thought about Toby everyday and made continual effort to find a loophole in which to catch Andromeda. She turned her studies to the histories of the kingdoms of the Underground and learned everything which might be helpful when the opportune moment came. She had to be smart because one mistake could shatter the structure of the Underground entirely.

Each morning, the two dressed and met for breakfast, parting to go about their day's work. They spent two meals together, breakfast and dinner, neither finding much need for lunch.

Every evening once Jareth had finished his kingly duties, he would find Sarah in the library re-shelving the numerous books that she had consumed throughout the day, and then he would escort her on an evening walk through the gardens. They returned to their chambers to dress for dinner, always a somewhat dressy affair, and then they commenced with Sarah's magic lessons.

Sarah had gained much skill and demonstrated a flair for magic. Jareth was proud of her talents and pleased that he had been correct in judging her capabilities. The area Sarah found difficult was defense, much to her frustration. She seemed unable to throw off the spells and enchantments that Jareth used. This worried the Goblin King, because defense was going to be important once the opportunity to rescue Toby arose.

"Once more, Sarah, concentrate on yourself. You must withdraw into your own presence. Sense yourself."

They were back down in the dungeons practicing magic. Sarah was trying dutifully to sense herself, but each time she discovered that she only felt a sensation of confusion and frustration. She had explained this feeling to Jareth many times, but neither knew how to combat it.

"I can't concentrate anymore tonight. The more we work on this, the more confused the feeling gets. Let's go up to the garden for a swim," resignation echoed in her voice. It was clear to Jareth that she hated feeling like she was giving up, but he also knew that she had the determination to overcome this confusion and rescue Toby.

They left the dungeons, arm in arm as usual, and ascended into the castle. They wound silently through the halls to their rooms where they parted to dress in swimming clothes.

Sarah shut the door quietly behind her and moved to the dresser. Another night of progress that seemed to move nowhere. She stripped completely and pulled out her favorite swimming gown. She could not call it a swimsuit in the sense of Aboveground swimsuits because it was certainly much more of a gown. It had a loose design with long sleeves that split to the elbow and flowed gracefully about her forearms in the water. The rest of the dress was made of multiple light layers that cascaded to the floor and split up to her knees. More strips of gauzy fabric completed its graceful shape. She wrapped two special strips across her chest to bind her breasts in place to make swimming more comfortable. The gown had matching panties that were thick enough so as to not be transparent. This one was a delicate cream color that reminded her of the beautiful cape that Jareth had worn after she broke the Escher room.

When she entered her library, she found Jareth already sitting in a chair waiting for her with two large towels. His swimming gear looked almost the same as his normal attire: black tights that were bound around the waist and a cream poet shirt tucked into that. The sleeves were rolled up the forearms, and his boots were gone. Coincidentally, he wore the feathery cape that seemed to match Sarah's gown. She had not seen it since that night so long ago.

Jareth laughed lightly as she entered the room softly, "You seemed to be thinking along the same lines. Come, let us walk."

They left the room again, mulled by the warm summer night. Sarah admired him complacently. "Why don't you wear that more often? It is such a lovely cape."

"I was worried it might upset you, and it is a bit formal to wear regularly. I have not had an opportunity until now."

"My gown seems to match it exactly. What made you decide to wear it tonight?" She looked at his gorgeous eyes as they walked down the moonlit path.

"I will let you guess, my dear Sarah," he said in a purring voice that sent shivers through her body. He was sounding like the Goblin King of her childhood.

"I don't know," she managed to say as they stopped at the well-lit pool nestled in a grove of gently swaying trees.

He bent into her ear and whispered "guess, Sarah." There was no mistaking the dominating tone that she had associated with him nine years ago.

The it hit her, "It's the anniversary of the night I ran the labyrinth!"

"Correct, my pet. And it is the same night that I fell in love with you," as he said this, he stepped behind her and pressed a kiss to her neck, firmly gripping her forearms. "And so, I consider it our anniversary," he let go of her when he was sure she would not turn around and reached into his cape. Sarah remained still, quite flattered by his behavior.

"I found something that I thought was rather fitting for tonight-" his hands began to move through her hair with the same dexterity he used when turning a crystal. She closed her eyes and sighed happily, feeling a little guilty that she had nothing to give him though knowing he expected nothing in return.

"Jareth, I am flattered though don't you think it was a little unfair not to warn me ahead of time so that I might have been prepared?"

"You say that so often. I wonder what your basis for comparison is," he repressed a laugh as he tried to remain in character. He could feel her tremble slightly at the use of the old line.

Once finished, he turned her to face him and grinned with approval. He spun her back around, conjuring a mirror as she turned.

"Oh, Jareth!" she gasped as she saw his gift: the silver leaves that she had been wearing in the Masquerade crystal that he had sent her. They were so beautifully crafted and so thoughtful, she turned back to thank him but found him nowhere in sight.

"Jareth?" she called quietly, a little worried. Then she heard faint music from the other side of the pool and turned back around quickly, her gown fluttering out and transforming into the dress that she had been wearing in the crystal. She marveled at the gown, then looked up to find that the mirror had disappeared and in its place was Jareth, looking just the same as he had in the fantasy. His face was stern, piercing her very soul with his eyes. One black gloved hand extended to take her into his arms as the music became clear. She already knew what song it was.

Jareth couldn't suppress a suave grin as he noted the exact look of wonderment on Sarah's face as had been there four years ago. He quietly mouthed the words that already filled the clearing, looking down into her startled blue eyes. The moment was perfect this time; Sarah was as mesmerized as before but now she knew exactly how he felt and her mind was not clouded by enchantments. He viewed that moment as an accomplishment to honor. He had tried in many ways to force Sarah to love him, but by relaxing and being himself she had come to find her own feelings.

Sarah could feel something in the air, perhaps it was simply the enchantment that had recreated the memory, but something felt fulfilled. She was realizing that she had never been happier in her life. A year ago, with all her success, with friends and family who loved her dearly, with the promise of a successful career, she had not been as content as she was at that moment in his arms.

Jareth tilted his head to better examine her face. The music was fading slowly, but she seemed unable to notice. Finally they were left in silence standing perfectly still, the light from the candles dancing through their eyes.

Sarah leaned forward and kissed Jareth passionately, drawing him into the moment. Just as he was in a comfortable rhythm, she pulled back, "I dreamed so often of that moment before you came back into my life, and never once were any of the dreams so perfect what you just gave me."

Jareth gave another seductive grin and leaned in for another kiss, but she turned and coyly walked to the edge of the pool.

"Shall we go for our swim then?" she spun in a circle and the dress fluttered back into the light swimming gown. She always looked so graceful when she changed. The silver leaves were still in her hair, and he tossed a crystal to them to replace them in her jewelry box. He conjured a wind that blew his outfit into the feathery cape and swimming suit that he had been wearing previously. Sarah was already stepping into the shallows, her dress trailing behind her in the water.

With steps silenced by magic, Jareth crept behind her. Sarah paused to watch his ripples intersect hers. "You will have to be more stealthy than that if you want to catch me, Goblin King," she murmured demurely and puffed herself to the other side of the pool in a cloud of shimmering blues. She smiled and dove into the deep waters, the fabric flowing about her beautifully curvy frame.

Jareth grinned at the little game and stepped back into the surrounding foliage. Sarah rose out of the water quietly and took a breath, finding Jareth no where in sight. She gazed intently about her and then felt the water change around her. Like a flash of light she twirled herself and reappeared again in the deeper waters. Jareth was in front of her, spinning around to face her. She gave a defiant smile and dove under again. This time Jareth was prepared. Standing hip-deep in the pool, he twisted his hand to create a crystal which he tossed into the air.

Sarah surfaced and looked around for Jareth. He had vanished once more, but hanging in the air was a glowing crystal. It slowly floated toward her, and before she had time to recognize it as a simple distraction, Jareth had grabbed her around the waist.

Sarah squirmed and tried to escape, but had little luck. "Hey! That's not-"

"Hmm? What were you saying, my dear?" Jareth cut her off, laughing at her incurable habit.

"You cheated," she corrected herself as he turned her around to face him. Her hair floated around her shoulders in gentle, enticing tendrils.

He brought his face close to hers, "Not in the least. I only," his lips were almost touching hers, "bent the rules." Sarah started to lean into a kiss. "You're it."

Jareth exploded into blue glitter and reappeared on a rock near the deeper end of the pool. He held one leg and let the other drop casually into the water.

"Was that really necessary?" Sarah pouted and swam to the water beneath the rock.

"Part of the game, my pet," he pulled his foot from her reach as she made a sudden lunge for it. "Nice try," he smirked.

"How about upping the stakes?" Sarah replied with a hint of Jareth's voice. He cocked his head to one side and regarded her with exaggerated interest. "No magic. Just ordinary cat-and-mouse."

Jareth laughed deep in his throat, "Oh really? You want to play without magic?" Sarah's blue eyes remained sarcastically pinned on his unusual ones. "Alright. But I don't see how I profit from this amendment."

"If you can catch me, and kiss me," she added, "then I will give you your anniversary present." Sarah grinned despite herself and Jareth raised an eyebrow with curiosity. Sarah lunged for his foot again and this time caught it in his distraction. "Your turn."

Sarah dove under water and glided away like a fish. She could hear Jareth as he dove into the water behind her. Already he had grasped her ankle and pulled her toward him. She really had no expectation of out-swimming him, but the chase would be fun. He still had to kiss her.

With a deft movement, Sarah twisted her leg free of Jareth and popped up for air. She swam underwater with fast strokes until she felt his shadow closing behind her. She surfaced and his arms wrapped around her arms and waist, pinning her. By that time they were standing to their ribs in water. Sarah attempted to wriggle free, but she was securely fastened by Jareth's grip.

"An anniversary present? I wonder what a girl can give a Goblin King?" his face was next to hers over her shoulder.

"It's something you have wished for."

"Is it?" he played along, half knowing, half curious. "I don't remember wishing for anything."

"Oh, you've wished for it. Your tights are a bit of a gossip," she said with meaning. Sarah could feel Jareth pause in his attempt to find her lips as he realized what she was implying.

"Very observant. Though I do wonder why you would be observing my tights," he turned her around in his arms. His voice took on a more serious tone, "Are you sure you want to give that to me?" he asked with concern.

"Undoubtedly," she kissed him then.

Jareth smiled into the kiss. He had not believed in the power of an unspoken wish until that moment.


	7. Quoth the Raven

**Chapter Seven**

**Quoth the Raven**

Jareth and Sarah were lying across the white comforter of the giant bed. Sarah was spooned loosely in Jareth's arms, one of his hands twirling her hair in his sleep. Some of his blonde hair was strewn over her shoulder and Sarah was lightly holding the ends of the lock. Their breaths were slow and steady, the misty fragrance of the night wafting through the canopy.

Jareth stirred and opened his eyes. He was slightly startled to find Sarah nestled next to him, but couldn't repress a smile to himself when he remembered what had occurred only hours before. For another fifteen minutes Jareth simply relished the feel of Sarah's body next to his, then he slid off the bed and walked out onto the balcony.

It was around four in the morning and somewhat chilly in the open air. The breeze felt nice around his bare legs. He rested his arms on the large stone banister and gazed over the Labyrinth. It was unbelievable to him that nine years ago he had stood in that same spot and cried. The Goblin King never showed emotion. He hadn't shown emotion since he was a young boy. For over two hundred years he had done nothing but serve his kingdom and the sad creatures that were wished away. However, on that night he had lost all control and given into his own dreams for once. Since that night of defeat, he had learned to accept his own feelings. The past year had been the most enjoyable in his life simply because he felt the passion of love.

A wind blew fiercely over the land, carrying a sense of tension. Jareth stood upright and scanned the horizon. He directed his gaze directly into the wind and suddenly heard the beating of wings. Quickly he dashed a crystal at his feet and was dressed in his usual attire.

A black raven landed on the rail in front of Jareth.

"Hello Andromeda. I see you chose to grace me with a counsel finally," he stepped back and the raven's feathers fluttered and grew into a wind tossed sorceress.

"Jareth. You aught to have more modesty, though I must say it was quite a show."

Jareth's suppressed a rising redness in his cheeks, "Why have you come?"

"Have you already forgotten my little Toby? He has grown quite fast. Would you like to see him?" She plucked a crystal from thin air and tossed it about in front of Jareth.

"You must return him to his home or to Sarah. You have no right to the boy," Jareth began steadily.

"I have every right to him!" she spat. "And besides that, he is happy with me. I give him everything he wants and care for him more than that mother of his ever did. He wants to be with me, and you can't bear the fact that I have won."

"This is not over, Andromeda. We will reclaim Toby and see that you are punished for your actions."

"You have no power over me," she smiled and advanced a step. "Ah, I see how my words effect you. A memory," Jareth felt her enter his mind, "a memory of a girl who rejected you. A girl that now shares your bed," she turned fiercely to the window and beheld the naked form of Sarah sleeping on the bed. Her voice rose in anger and surprise, "you have consummated with the girl?" she whispered fiercely.

"My personal relationships are no longer of your concern. I might remind you that our engagement has been severed for six years."

"Yes, six sad years. We would have been happy together. I like to think of Toby as the son we might have had. He has got your eyes, you know, and the powers that come with them. Quite remarkable, considering how unique they are," she reached a hand to cup his face, but Jareth knocked it aside.

"You are a conniving little creature, aren't you? Still trying to claim my kingdom?"

Her eyes softened, a hint of their former compassion, "No, never your kingdom. Only your heart," she paused and looked up at the distempered king. "I did love you, despite my parents' ulterior motives. I was rather hurt that you did not see that through their silly plots. I would never have let them carry through with it, even if I had to use force against them. I always loved you, but you never seemed to care enough to notice."

Jareth was unable to respond. She sounded sincere, and he could not sense any trace of a lie. He had wondered many a time if he had been mistaken in rejecting Andromeda ultimately, and now he knew that he had certainly been mistaken in his motives for the rejection.

"I am sorry that I could not return the love, but it was because I had yet to understand it. We were not meant for each other, Andromeda."

The compassionate glow faded away and her expression returned to that of cruelty. "My dear Jareth, I have moved on from you. Sometimes I do wonder what things might have been like, but now I am quite pleased with my life. Toby is a remarkable young man, just jumping headfirst into everything. He grows much faster than you think," Jareth glanced at the crystal, which she still held in her hand. "No, I think you do not deserve to see him. You have been much to busy dwelling on that creature," she nodded in toward the bed, "to think about dear Toby, so it shouldn't matter to you how he has changed. Perhaps another time, my love."

Before Jareth could protest, Andromeda had whirled back into raven form and taken flight. He started to transform to attack her, but heard an echo of her voice in his mind: "Kill me and the boy shall die with me. I have bound his spirit to mine to discourage you from your notoriously rash actions."

The raven cawed in the distance, sounding rather like a cackle. If she had truly bound his spirit, then there really was nothing that either he or Sarah could do. The only way to free a bound spirit is for the spirit itself to work the spell to release the bondage.

Jareth reentered his chambers and went to Sarah's side. She still slept soundly, but he knew that she would want to be disturbed to hear this new discovery.

"Sarah, love, wake-up," he purred in her ear. She stirred and opened her eyes. She looked around in a confused manner for a moment, then smiled with remembrance and sat up to kiss Jareth, but he held her back.

"I need to tell you something important; it's about Toby. Are you awake enough?"

Sarah jolted to an upright position and a look of concern took over her features, "What has happened?"

Jareth recounted his morning's events and she stoically took in his words. "We cannot free Toby by force. The only way for his to escape is by his own free will-"

"But surely Toby wants to return home or to see me," she interrupted.

"Not necessarily. She may have used spells to erase his memory or to alter it, and even if she hasn't he may have come to love her as well-"

"Love her? You can't be serious. That wretch isn't capable of giving love and certainly not receiving it-"

"You forget that I once loved her very much, or I thought I did at the least. We were close like friends. There was once good in her, but I fear it is now only used for self-serving purposes. She would be gentle and loving toward someone if she thought that she might benefit from her own actions."

Sarah's face turned crimson with jealousy and her eyes flashed a dangerous green.

"I speak the truth when I say that you are the only one I have ever truly loved. I have no compassion for Andromeda now, only pity and rage. I promise you, this will never change."

Her cheeks returned to their normal pale tone and she took his hand in acceptance of his statement. They shared this moment, and then she continued, "What can we do now?"

"All we can do is wait for her to come to us. She will be back, it is only a matter of time."

"But this could take forever!" Sarah cried in frustration.

"Forever is not long at all. You will see. It is in her nature to seek revenge and she certainly seems to hold a grudge against me."

Sarah slumped against the pillows and stared off into the white canopy. There was absolutely nothing she could do but wait, and she was determined to wait forever if that is what it took.


	8. Excursion to the Oubliettes

**Chapter Eight**

**Excursion to the Oubliettes**

Sarah stood leaning on the thick stone rail of the back terrace. The soft lowing of the many creatures of the Underground echoed across the vast valley. Orange light flooded the ground and laced the trees as the sun finished its journey down.

Her back faced Jareth, who was walking down the shallow stone steps to reach her. Instead of interrupting her pensive thoughts, he stood next to her and took in the view. The air smelled of oak and the rising chimney smoke in the goblin city. Sarah did not blink as he scrutinized her face, then looked back to the valley. It was now late October and the chilly air seeped into every corner. Jareth covered her hand with his own. Even through his leather gloves he could feel that she was cold. He was frighteningly reminded of the time she had eaten the poisoned plum.

"Come inside, Sarah."

She finally flickered her eyes and turned automatically to him. There was no light in her face, none of the usual happiness that radiated from her essence. It had been this way for several months now. She had given up her studies in the library and took to pensive thought. Jareth could easily see that it was destroying her.

"You cannot do this anymore. You cannot blame yourself for what has happened, surely you must see that it is not your fault," Jareth led her toward the door and she obeyed silently. Every day it was the same. He stopped abruptly and turned her to face him, her eyes still downcast. "What can I do to make you understand?"

Sarah stood silently for a moment and then turned again to walk inside. Jareth caught her tightly and forced her to look at him. He saw a mixture of surprised fear and despair in her features. He relaxed his grip, "Sarah, you are worrying me. I fear for you," he took her hands and her gaze fell again to the ground. "You need something to distract you-"

"Why? So I can forget about him?" she interrupted bitterly.

"No, my dear, so that you can bear the inevitable wait." Sarah's eyes welled with tears, pushing Jareth to the brink of yelling.

"You do Toby no good by allowing your spirit to break. You have shown no interest in your magic lessons, that won't help anything either. You must know how to defend yourself if you want to defeat Andromeda-"

"But if I defeat her I will kill Toby."

"Not if Toby unbinds himself. Once he understands fully what has happened, he can free himself and you can then defeat her safely. We have gone over this before."

"It seems so pointless. Nothing ever changes, there is nothing new to do-"

Jareth pressed a hand to her lips, "And that is why I want you to busy yourself with something. You would enjoy having something to do. Come, let us go have dinner."

Sarah attempted to brighten herself so as to enjoy Jareth's company. She hated to admit that she was intrigued by the possibilities of a distraction. They ate dinner quietly, Jareth relating his day.

Jareth swallowed a bit of bread, "The vampires are troubled. Erick has been preying on Southern Europe again and the Council cannot keep him restrained. They have asked me if I would provide a chamber for him in the Labyrinth, but I fear allowing mortals to run the risk of vampire attack. I have been scouting remote areas of the oubliettes where we can banish him safely."

"Have you found anything?" Sarah replied with slight interest. The vampires fascinated her.

"I was only able to scout for an hour today after meeting with the Council. I plan on setting out again tonight after dinner. I was wondering if you might join me."

Sarah set down her spork, "In the oubliettes?"

"Yes. I would enjoy the company and you could use a change of scenery. I promise it wont be more than an hour. I found a few possible locations but they are underneath a Fae town so I would prefer something more remote."

"Yes, I will join you. What should I wear?"

"Something durable, we will have to do a lot of walking."

They finished their meal and Sarah hurried off to change clothes. Now she found herself digging about in her own closet opposite Jareth's. Since their anniversary night Sarah had moved into Jareth's bedroom, however she had been in far too preoccupied a state to entertain their evenings together. She put on black tights and a purple leather bodice that fit her form to the hips and then fanned like a cape in the back, rather like a dress. The laces tightened themselves up each side and she slipped on some sturdy black boots. In one of the drawers she found two black leather gauntlets which she fastened to her wrists.

Jareth was waiting on the edge of the bed, already dressed in his typical kingly attire. Tonight he wore the earthy leather cape that fastened with the Goblin insignia and uneven lapels. It was always comfortable for journeys into the Labyrinth. The sight of Jareth waiting for her to join him in adventure suddenly struck Sarah as incredibly cute. She couldn't resist cracking a smile as he cocked his head to one side. With a laugh Sarah ran her hand through his glorious hair and made it even messier.

"You look happier already. Let's away," he wrapped an arm around her waist and a whirlwind of black glitter brought them into a remote and walled area of the Labyrinth. As far as Sarah could tell in the moonlight, they were enclosed in a large square.

"We must enter here and then travel westward. I think there might be a good detaining chamber closer to the river. Here," he pulled away a patch of ivy, revealing a niche with a deep hole. "I will go first, then I will tell you when to jump."

Sarah watched him jump down the hole and heard him land about fifty feet down. "Alright, come along," he called out of the hole. Hesitantly, Sarah closed her eyes and stepped over the threshold. She fell quickly, but not fast enough to hurt herself when she landed. It reminded her of the sensation of breaking free of a crystal.

Jareth stood comfortably in front of her, his face illuminated by the torches that were now igniting throughout the oubliette. It looked exactly as the one she had been in years before. They began to walk westward in silence.

"Here we go again," she muttered. Jareth turned around and gave her a sarcastic look, then kept walking. Even on their outing she felt ruled by her little brother. Even though she loved him, he certainly did get in the way sometimes.

Sarah was examining everything closely, attempting to learn the passageways. She halted abruptly when she noticed a peculiar trail in the dirt, as if a crystal had rolled through area. She followed the path with her eyes and smiled when she saw a discarded blue disguise that had at one time concealed a king.

"Jareth," she caught his arm, "look there. Seem familiar?"

He followed her gaze and laughed, "Ah yes, another memory," with three swift steps he stood in front of the blue cloak. "I was here, waiting for you to enter with that bumbling Higgle, or whatever his name was. And I believe," he turned back around to face her, "You were standing just there. I must admit I was rather jealous of Hogwart."

"Oh really? Why was that?" she was curious to hear his explanation.

"I'm not sure. At the time I remember wishing he would disappear."

Sarah laughed, "Ironic that the man who grants everyone's wishes could not grant his own."

"But then I came toward you, like this," he stepped toward her menacingly, "And I felt better once I had you cornered. I didn't understand why," he leaned an arm on the wall behind her and examined her face.

Sarah's heart was pounding fiercely, exactly as it had then. He certainly had a special charm over her. Their faces were so close now, she felt overwhelmed by his eyes. She leaned her head forward to kiss him but he moved his head to the side of her neck and whispered, "Then I do believe I teased you for being presumptuous."

She rolled her eyes and sighed, pushing off the wall to continue their walk but Jareth barred her way with his arm and gave her a quick kiss.

"Come on, we still have to find a spot for the exile. Maybe just up ahead-" Jareth led her around the corner and they continued their search. It was nice to be exploring again.


	9. Duties

**Chapter Nine**

**Duties**

Since their excursion through the oubliettes, Sarah had chosen to distract herself with Jareth and learning how to rule the Goblin Kingdom. She had accompanied Jareth on several other excursions into the Labyrinth, maintaining professional conduct, and accompanied him to a meeting regarding the vampire exile.

Sarah was reading Dracula in the conservatory when she suddenly felt Jareth's presence. She set the book in her lap and looked to her right. Jareth was stretched on the lounge next to her.

"Hello, pet" he purred.

"My love."

"I have a proposition for you. How about a little trip Aboveground?" Sarah looked at him blankly. "We have a wish-away."

"What?" Sarah moved her book onto the side table and sat up.

"A boy in England has wished away his little sister. I thought you might enjoy this wish-away because it reminds me of your case."

"My case? How so?" she shifted uneasily.

"He does love his sister, but a trip through the Labyrinth will help him to understand just how much he loves her. I will let him take the child back, but it is important that he believes there is a risk involved."

Sarah furrowed her brows, "You were always going to let me win? You let others before me win?"

"Not win, but I gave back the children. Your case was unique. I didn't simply let you leave. I had hoped the time would run out so I could appear more generous by letting you and your brother leave of my own will. However, you managed to outsmart me. You were the first to truly defeat the Labyrinth. And the first to break my heart," he rubbed her arms.

Sarah was at a loss for words, "I'm so sorry," she stuttered, lost in his explanation. Funny that she had never known the truth about the Labyrinth. Historical documents only recounted the wish-aways that were from abusive backgrounds. Wish-aways were not often used as lessons. Though she knew Jareth loved her, she felt simultaneously flattered and depressed that she had caused the king heartache.

"It is alright. You were still quite young. But you are here now, are you not?" He leaned over and kissed her.

"This boy will run the Labyrinth when given the chance," he continued. "I want you to be the one to speak to him."

Sarah thought for a moment. "Alright. Must I be intimidating?"

"Yes. Let him believe you are the enemy and it will give him further motivation. They always enjoy feeling that they have conquered over evil. Besides, it is so much fun to play the role," he smirked and she threw a crystal at him.

They both appeared in their chambers and Sarah rummaged about in her closet to find something to wear. Appearance was important in acting. She quickly threw on a blue velvet bodice and leather pants, gloves, and boots, then ran across to Jareth's closet and picked out the cape that he had worn when he first came for Toby.

"How do I look?" she spun around to model the outfit.

"Gorgeous," he kissed her hand, "I will give you the crystal to get there and you can make the crystal to bring you two back to the entrance. Thirteen hours, same as always. Restrain yourself from giving any hints: Hedgeninny will be sure to assist him. Come back to the throne room once you have him on his way. We will check up on him at a later time."

Jareth pulled a crystal from his pocket and rolled it around. "Oh, and one last thing," Jareth looked Sarah directly in the eye, "Don't lead him on," he murmured suggestively as he eyed her up and down. The bodice was rather low cut and the pants skin tight.

In response, whispered in his ear, "Oh don't worry, there's only one man I like to tease," then snatched the crystal from him, stepped back with a grin, and broke it at her feet.

Sarah found herself whirling through a void, cold wind whipping Jareth's cape about her. She flung out her arms to balance herself, and as she did found that she had landed just inside a spacious living room of a large apartment.

Once the wind died down a bit, she raised her eyes to find a thirteen-year-old redheaded boy staring agape at her. He looked to be short for his age, with a vast quantity of freckles spread across his angular face.

"Who- who are you?" Are you the- the-"

"Sarah, the Goblin Queen," she gave herself the title without thinking.

"Have you really taken Kathy? I didn't mean to wish her away, honest!"

"Oh, you didn't?" she chuckled with amusement and crossed her arms. Did everyone react the same way?

"Please, I have to get her back. I didn't think you would really come for her-"

"Patrick," for she suddenly could sense this boy's life. "Go back to your room, play with your airplanes and your computer. Forget about Kathy. She is in our hands now."

Patrick looked about him, a red blush creeping over his face. He held embarrassment and guilt about all the time he spent playing when he was meant to be doing his homework. "I really must get her back. Please, there must be some way. Where have you taken her?"

"You know very well where she is," Sarah grinned inwardly at the use of Jareth's old routine. "She's there, in the castle beyond the Goblin City," she stepped aside and twirled her hand dramatically. Her other hand dropped the crystal that sent them abruptly into the outskirts of the Labyrinth.

She pointed to a tree, where a thirteen hour clock had materialized. "You have thirteen hours in which to solve the Labyrinth. If you reach the center, you will have proved your fortitude and diligence."

Patrick put his hands on his hips and surveyed the scene, "I bet I can beat that."

"It is harder than you think. You can't use cheat codes in the real world. Are you sure you wont turn back now?"

Patrick's face faltered for an instant, but he regained his composure. "I'll do it."

"Thirteen hours. I recommend you begin now. Such a pity," she stepped backward and faded back into the throne room. The last thing she saw was Patrick's worried face.

She blew with a gust of glitter into the throne room. Jareth was laughing hysterically, sprawled across the throne.

"You- you are-" he panted between choking laughter "very- unoriginal."

Sarah walked by him as he was wiping a tear form his cheek and threw a pillow-crystal at his groin. She folded her arms and stood just out of his reach, facing over the empty room.

"And- very- gorgeous!" he groaned, trying to fight back his laughter. "Really, you are. That cape makes you look quite evil."

Sarah bit back her smile then turned around to glare at him as menacingly as she could. Their eyes locked and she relished in her moment of power. Then his face cracked and he burst out laughing again.

"Oh, bug off," she folded her arms across her chest and stood irritably waiting for him to calm down.

"My apologies, pet. I am laughing at myself as much as you. Now, let us spy on the boy. It is your duty to protect him."

Sarah's hand turned and she held a light crystal that began to hover over her fingertips.

"Place it here," Jareth waved to a metal stand that was designed to hold such crystals. "We can watch the boy and see what befalls him. Ah, I see he has already met out friend Hollybog-"

"Hoggle-" Sarah corrected. He never could get that name straight.

"Yes, yes, Hogling. It is important that we steer the boy clear of danger but not let the path be too easy. You can distract him now and again as I did for you."

In the crystal, Patrick and Hoggle were conversing animatedly about something. Their words were quiet and garbled, like someone mumbling into cloth. Now and then she could make out her own name. Hoggle seemed excited and kept repeating it..

"What is he saying? Why can't we hear them?"

"That is the folly of crystal gazing. It is nearly impossible to understand the words. That is also why we check up on our runners, to satisfy our own curiosity. But for now," he suddenly changed the topic, "we shall meet the little girl."

The doors to the throne room burst open and a horde of goblins came pouring in, a little redheaded girl of seven was dragged in with them. She was crying fearfully, and Sarah's heart immediately felt for her. She glanced at Jareth helplessly, and he nodded silent permission. With a few long strides, Sarah went to the girl's side.

"Kathy," Sarah said quietly to the girl, kneeling beside her. "It's okay, I promise nothing will hurt you."

The child stifled a sob, "H- how do you know my name?"

"It's magic. I know some more magic too. Do you wanna see?"

"Okay," she warily watched as Sarah conjured a crystal and passed it about over her hands.

"Whoa! That's neat. How do you do that?"

Sarah laughed as she saw her own curiosity in Kathy's sparkling eyes. "It took a lot of practice, but I got it eventually. Hold out your hands," Kathy obliged without much hesitation. The crystal rolled into Kathy's hands, turning into a stuffed kitten as it tumbled.

"Mindy!" she hugged the love-worn animal to her chest and buried her face in its cotton fur. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Sarah sat back on her heels and watched as Kathy wiped away her tears. They looked at each other for a time, and then Kathy sat down with Sarah. Her eyes had grown wide and she looked all around.

"Do you know where you are?" Sarah asked, looking about at the clumsy goblins. Jareth still sat in his throne, watching the pair.

"Am I- I'm in the castle beyond the Goblin City. Then you must be-" Kathy bowed her head and blushed, "Are you the Goblin Queen?"

Sarah glanced back at Jareth, who smiled. "Yes, I am. You may call me Sarah though, if you like."

"I like that name. My friend was named Sarah, but she died."

Sarah furrowed her brows, "I'm sorry." She gently touched Kathy's hand and felt a sudden rush of a memory. A little girl, a father yelling, bruises on her face, cigarette smoke, syringes. Kathy's friend had been beaten to death by her father. He was on heroine at the time. He committed suicide once he realized what he had done, leaving two other young children orphaned. Kathy didn't understand any of this now, but she did feel alone and upset. It was not something she wanted to think about.

"So I guess your brother wished you away, didn't he?"

"Yeah. He got mad because I kept bugging him to play with me. He said my games were for babies. But sometimes he plays with me and sometimes we make up our own games so I think he was just being mean.

"That was mean, wasn't it? But you know what? I think he loves you a lot and didn't really mean the things he said."

"I don't think so, he said that he hated me. Mrs. Ryan says that we aren't supposed to say 'hate' because it's not nice."

Sarah stood up and Kathy followed. "I know it's not a nice thing to say, but your brother feels bad about it."

"How do you know?"

"Well, after he wished you away I went to go talk to him. He was very upset and asked me to give you back. I told him that he shouldn't have been so mean, and that I couldn't give you back unless he went through the Labyrinth. Do you know what the Labyrinth is?"

"Yeah! Pat used to tell me stories about it. He said that Mommy told him some of them before she went away." A faint trace of hurt swept the features of the two girls. Sarah understood the pain that comes when a parent seems to have abandon you.

"Pat told me that he would go through the Labyrinth to rescue you. I don't think he would do that unless he really did love you."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I don't want to go back though."

"You don't?" Sarah wondered what other secrets were locked in the girl's past.

"No. I like it here. You're nice."

Another memory swept into Sarah's mind. She's home alone, and it's not an unfamiliar feeling. Her brother is fixing bowls of cold cereal for dinner, but there isn't much milk left in the fridge. He splits it between their bowls. A different time, not long after. There are lots of men in the house, friends of her father's. She hides in her room. Another time, Kathy's father comes in late at night with a young woman. They smell funny and look dizzy like they have been spinning in circles. They go into his room and are very noisy.

Sarah broke out of the memories and fixed her eyes on the girl. She was wrapping her stuffed kitten in the folds of Sarah's long cape. Sarah looked to Jareth, who was busy staring into the crystal. He turned when he felt a gaze on him. He could read worry in Sarah's eyes. Perhaps there was more to this wish away than idle carelessness.

"Sarah, what happens if Pat gets lost and doesn't get back here in thirteen hours? Will I turn into a goblin?"

"No, you won't change."

"Will Pat have to go back?"

"No, not if he doesn't want to. We will find him if he gets lost."

"Good. I don't think he will want to go back home once he meets you."

Sarah grinned and bent down to Kathy's height. "Do you want to come meet my friend? I think you will like him too."

Kathy made a face of disgust, "You're friends with a boy? Boys are gross. They like to play gross games."

Sarah laughed out loud, "Do you like to play dress-up?"

"Yeah. I always like to pretend I am a princess and there is a prince that will come and take me away."

"I used to do the same thing until I wished my brother away." Kathy's jaw dropped. It seemed beyond Sarah to wish away her brother. "My friend, Jareth, he came and took me away just like a prince in a game. But he isn't a prince, he is a king."

"He is the King of the Goblins? Jareth?" Kathy looked even more amazed.

"Yes he is."

"Did you marry him? Is that why you are the Queen?"

Now Sarah did blush, "No, we have not married." _Yet_, she added to herself. "But we are in love."

"Ooooh, is he your boyfriend?" Kathy teased, then her eyes widened and stared just over Sarah's shoulder.

"Is who your boyfriend?" Jareth had appeared just behind Sarah. "I hope she is referring to me, or else someone has some explaining to do."

The girls laughed and Sarah playfully hit him. "Yes, of course she means you. Jareth, I would like you to meet Kathy."

"I am pleased to meet you, my fair lady," he bowed and kissed the girl's hand. Kathy giggled. "I am the Goblin King, but I would like it if you would call me Jareth."

"Alright."

"Are you hungry, Kathy? Perhaps we can go get a snack while Sarah goes and takes care of something."

"Okay. Will Sarah come back soon?"

Sarah whirled around and changed into a gauzy purple cape, Kathy gasped in amazement. Purple was her favorite color. "I will be back as soon as I can. I promise you that Jareth will take good care of you."

"I know. I like him too. He isn't like my daddy's friends." Jareth glanced at Sarah's face and back to Kathy.

"Alright, off I go!" Sarah threw a crystal to the ground and was back in the abyss as she flew out into the Labyrinth. She had recognized the square where Pat was stuck as the same place she had visited when scouting an oubliette for Erick the vampire. The walls had enclosed him and he needed help escaping. Clearly Hoggle had abandon him for a while.

Patrick did not hear Sarah appear. "Well, well, well. What have we here?" He spun around abruptly. "It seems someone took a wrong turn."

"I'm not lost, I'm just not in the right place."

"Ah, you miss the point of the Labyrinth: to be lost. We wouldn't send you in here if not to make you lost."

Patrick had nothing to say to this.

"How are you enjoying the Labyrinth so far, Patrick?"

He squared his shoulders in attempt to look nonchalant, "It's not as bad as you said."

"Oh really?" Sarah did not know how to reorder time yet, and so she refrained from turning the clock forward. "It gets harder as you go, and believe me, you have barely scratched the surface. Are you sure you want to go on?"

"Yes," he replied without hesitation.

"Well then, I suppose I shall leave you to your grand escape. You do realize that you have been boxed in?"

"I- well, yes. But I'll find a way out on my own."

"Suit yourself. But I do warn you, the Labyrinth has a mind of its own and will not bend to your will." Sarah spun a crystal from the air and tossed it into the sky. She exploded into purple dust and reappeared outside the hedge. With a bit of magic, she opened a pathway that would lead the boy to the dark forest. A run-in with the Wild Gang was sure to tame his defiance.

For now though, Sarah thought she ought to pay a visit to her old friend, Hoggle. They had not communicated since she came back to the Underground. He preferred to remain isolated near the gates to the Labyrinth, though it seemed he enjoyed helping the occasional runner. Jareth reported having poor relations with Hoggle over the years simply because of mutual detest and in Hoggle's case, fear.

Sarah transported herself to the clearing of the forest where Hoggle had been relaxing. Using a magically altered voice, she called out through the trees, "Well, what do we have here?"

Hoggle jumped at hearing the voice of the King, "Nothing, yer majesty. I was just restin' me back."

"Nothing? Nothing, tra-la-la?" She allowed her voice to slip back to normal.

"Sarah? Well I'll be, is it really you?" he hobbled over to her and they embraced.

"It's good to see you again, old friend."

"Sarah, is it true what I heard? Are you the Goblin Queen?"

She laughed and sat down with him, "Technically I'm not, but Jareth thought he'd give me a chance with a wish-away."

"But you know what this means? You're doin' the job of the Queen and livin' with the King. I know he always did like you and I heard that you two been pretty close since you've come back. So, are you two thinking of, well, you know, getting married?"

Sarah blushed fiercely. "I- I don't know. I suppose he will ask me once the time is right." She had not thought about the fact that they were not actually married. They were sharing a room and a bed and clearly in love, but they had not officially joined.

"Well, I think he's up to something with you, sendin' you out to guide a wish-away. It's a responsibility, that is."

"Yes, he does seem to be enjoying watching me attempt this. I hope I have been doing a good job."

"Certainly you have! I think you been doin' a fine job, and I think you'd make a good Goblin Queen."

"Thank you Hoggle. That means a lot to me. But listen- I have to get back to the castle. I have put Pat on the path to the Fire Gang and I need you to make sure they don't harass him too much, okay?"

"Alright. Now you be off! I expect I'll be seein' you around more."

"Bye Hoggle!"

Sarah vanished and reappeared in the throne room. Kathy was nibbling an enormous cookie that she shared with several goblins around her. Jareth was scrutinizing her from his throne. His legs hung over one arm of the chair and his fishtail cane tapped his toes absentmindedly.

"What do you think of her?" Sarah said quietly so as not to attract the girl's attention.

"She has been through a lot. I don't think she should go back Aboveground. Nor her brother."

"I agree. But what will we do with them? We can't turn them into goblins."

Jareth rubbed his jaw and blinked. "My sister Corsicana has been wanting to adopt a child from the Aboveground. I think that would be the best arrangement for these children. She will provide for them and give them the life they deserve. From what I have seen of Kathy's memories, she has been put through a lot of trauma."

"Your sister would adopt them?" Sarah felt a rush of joy at this idea.

"Yes. They would make wonderful parents."

"Will you contact them soon?"

"If the children do not wish to return to their home, then we shall give them a home here. I will visit them personally when the time comes."

Kathy looked over to the throne and jumped up when she saw Sarah.

"Hi! Do you want some of my cookie? It's very big."

"So it is! Thank you very much. It's nice of you to share."

"Come on. Let's go play dress-up! Jareth promised we could."

Half an hour later, Jareth was wearing a regal red cape and Sarah an enormous sparkly crown. Kathy preferred a tiara and puffy dress reminiscent of Sarah's silver ball gown. A number of goblins were wearing feathered hats and velvet vests. Sarah and Jareth were to play the role of the royal parents and were charged with finding the proper suitor for Princess Kathy.

Jareth tugged uncomfortably at the high neck of the ridiculous red cape. "Any suitor of my daughter must be a fine dancer. Whoever can dance the liveliest may ask for my daughter's hand."

The goblins fell into their liveliest jig and Kathy giggled until tears welled in her eyes. "I think they are all the liveliest!"

"All of them? Well that will never do." Sarah rose her scepter in the air, "Whoever can walk the straightest may ask for Princess Kathy's hand."

The goblins put on a spectacular show of prancing and preening that made Kathy shriek with laughter. The goblins were enjoying the game as much as she and fell into their own fits of laughter.

Sarah stole away for a moment to check the crystal and the clock. Nine hours and twenty-three minutes left. Patrick was listening to the Fire Gang try to tempt him to join their games. He was adequately wary of their strange behavior and managed to slip away from them while they kicked their heads around. Hoggle had rejoined him and they snuck off over the very same wall that Sarah had climbed.

This time they did not fall through the trap door into the bog, but instead ran along the wall until they were in a new part of the Labyrinth. Enormous flowers stretched above their heads. Hoggle led Pat down into the jungle of petals and leaves, weaving a path through them heading in the general direction of the castle. The bog would have been an unpleasant shortcut.

Sarah turned around and saw all the goblins standing on their heads.

"They all can do it!" Kathy giggled.

"Queen Sarah, my love, perhaps you have another test for these suitors?" Jareth purred. She suppressed a euphoric shudder and tried to keep her thoughts on Kathy's game.

"I know! Whoever can dress up as the prettiest goblin can ask for the Princess's hand."

Kathy shrieked with laughter as the goblins raced for the chest of dresses.

Sarah took Jareth's arm and pulled him close enough to speak quietly in his ear. "Can't we speed this up a bit? Both these children have proved themselves kind and caring. Why force Pat through the whole maze? It is trying enough for a fifteen year old."

"We don't want to loose our reputation, dear. You may keep the trials easy but do not let him get too close. It makes us look sloppy." Sarah sighed with impatience. "Don't fret, my pet, Kathy will be ready for a nap soon. We can retire for a bit ourselves. Hibnickers will keep Pat wandering safely for a time."

"Very well. It would be nice to rest for a bit. Kathy can be hard to keep up with."

Just then, the girl yawned and batted her eyes.

"Why don't we take a rest for a bit? We can go play in the gardens later if you want." Jareth scooped her into his arms and carried her to a nursery with a big purple princess-like bed. She eagerly settled into the fluffy covers with her stuffed kitten.

"Can Mindy and I give you a kiss goodnight?"

Sarah felt tears press her eyes as she thought of Toby and Lancelot. Jareth bent and accepted a kiss from Kathy and the kitten, placing a gentle peck on her forehead as well. "Sleep well."

Sarah bent and pulled the covers over the little girl. She too received kisses and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Have a good nap."

The couple left the girl sleepily nestled in the fluffy bed.

"Amazing what a little magic can do to an excited child" Jareth murmured as he kissed Sarah on the lips. The two left for a nap in their chamber.


	10. An Offer

**Chapter Ten**

**An Offer**

"Wake up, my dear."

Sarah blindly groped for Jareth's hair. When she found it, she twined her fingers through it and smiled.

"Sarah, my love. You have work to do."

Her eyes flipped open. She was face to face with Jareth, and his voice was so seductive she could have just-

"Patrick has fallen into an oubliette with Hogwash. You need to go make an appearance and keep them from Erick's oubliette. The dwarf doesn't know where he is yet so we must protect them."

"Alright, I'm getting up. Will you go take care of Kathy?"

"She's still sleeping. I'm going to relax here until you come back."

Jareth laughed as Sarah threw him a sarcastic look. She dressed herself manually to help engage her senses. In a few minutes Sarah emerged from the closet and sighed dramatically.

"Whoa," Jareth sat up a little bit and gave Sarah the once over. "You aren't really going out in that are you?"

She was wearing a tight leather corset with tight leather pants. As he stared she slipped on one of his black silk blouses over the corset and wrapped herself in a large cape. "Yes." Sarah made a purring noise in the back of her throat and disappeared.

"I'm not sayin' we're lost, I'm only sayin' I'm not sure where we are."

"Doesn't that mean we are lost?"

Hoggle sighed. "There's a difference! See, bein' lost means I can't find my way-"

A glistening crystal rolled down the path and around Pat's feet.

"What's that?"

In front of the two travelers now loomed a dark and foreboding figure. The crystal rolled to a stop at it's feet.

"Well, if it isn't Pat and Hoggle. Hopelessly lost, I see."

"We aint lost, we's just in the wrong place," Hoggle tried his best to sound intimidated.

"Really. Are you sure you haven't given up yet?"

Pat stepped forward boldly, "No. And I wont give up until I get her back."

"So be it. Do you really think you can solve the Labyrinth?"

The boy hesitated for a moment, "Of course I can."

"Do you really believe it will be that simple?"

"Easy." Pat sounded defiant.

"Easy, is it? Let's see how you get out of this one-" Sarah summoned the crystal to her hand, twisted it once, and threw it down the way they had been traveling. The familiar whine of the cleaners began to creak in the distance.

"The cleaners!" Hoggle sounded irritated and exasperated at Sarah's choice, but she disappeared again before he could attempt to question her. If they had continued their path, they would have broken right into Erick's prison. She would have to remember to warn Hoggle to stay clear until they stationed guards.

With a quiet puff of smoke and glitter, Sarah appeared at the foot of the bed. Jareth had fallen asleep again and was breathing deeply.

"Alright dear, time to get up."

"Mmmeh-" Jareth pulled the covers over his head and rolled away from her. His hair puffed out the top of the blanket.

"Jaaa-reth, come on. Let's get going." Sarah sat on the bed and tugged his hair playfully. He withdrew his hair like a sea anemone and tucked the blanket under his body so that she couldn't reach him.

"Jareth!" She shook him a bit until he stuck half his face out from under his warm cocoon. His sleepy eyes blinked once, then he started to curl up again. "Not this time, let's go!" Jareth reluctantly obliged and let Sarah pull him from the bed. He mumbled a little and kissed her forehead as he shuffled to the closet to change clothes. "Finally," Sarah muttered.

The two walked arm-in-arm to the throne room, where Jareth stirred up the crystal of Patrick in the Labyrinth. It was nearing eleven: only two more hours for the boy to solve the Labyrinth. It was clear that he would not be able to make it. Patrick was still rather young to be in the Labyrinth, so the fact that he had made it to the oubliettes was impressive.

Sarah leaned on Jareth's shoulder. "What do you think? Should we wake Kathy now?"

He heaved a great sigh, "I suppose so. I feel sorry waking the little creature, don't you?"

"You go relax. I'll take care of Kathy until the time runs out."

Jareth smiled and bowed in thanks. She turned and walked toward the door leading into the hallway. Before she reached the arc, she turned back to Jareth.

"What will happen when the time runs out and Patrick has not solved the Labyrinth?"

Jareth gave her a puzzled look and then his features melted into a laugh, "I forgot. You are the girl who bested me, you have never seen a loss in the Labyrinth." Sarah blushed, "The magic that brought him to the Underground will also bring him to the throne room after the thirteenth hour. We will wait here with Kathy and then explain his options. Brother and sister must decide what they want to do. I think in this case we may leave the decision to them."

Sarah stood for a moment, thinking about the children, then nodded and left for Kathy's chambers.

A team of Goblins skipped behind Kathy as Jareth and Sarah watched on from the throne. Jareth was turned sideways with his legs thrown over the arm of the chair and Sarah resting on pillows by his head. She leaned against the throne and snaked a hand into the hair that fell over the side of the chair. Jareth glanced down at her, an absent-minded smile across her lips as her eyes followed Kathy round the room. For the past few hours the child had played Wizard of Oz with the goblins playing all the supporting roles. Sarah had made a brief appearance as Glenda, then was left to lounge with Jareth.

"It is almost the thirteenth hour. Have you decided what to tell the boy?" Jareth murmured lazily, his gloved fingers tracing the patterns in the wood.

"Yes. I know what I must do." She knew that revealing herself as a caring sister and friend would be a bizarre shock to the boy and that he would have trouble learning to trust her.

Jareth blinked his eyes and fell pensive once more. Three minutes. He knew exactly what he would tell the boy, but he had no idea what Sarah would say. He was also unsure what Patrick would think of their idea; not many children his age could consider leaving their parents, but he might be one of the rare exceptions.

A clock somewhere began to strike. The sound seemed to fill the room and yet come from nowhere. Sarah rose to her feet and Jareth went to Kathy, shooing the goblins from the room.

"Take my hand, Kathy. We will hide ourselves while Sarah speaks to your brother." She took his hand and grew somber. Even at her young age she could understand the seriousness of the moment.

Sarah gave a last look to Jareth before he and the girl were cloaked by a crystal. As the thirteenth chime rang, a disheveled Patrick appeared in a gust of wind and swirl of green.

"No! Please, I have tried my hardest! My time can't be up!"

Sarah felt his panic, but calmly strode toward him. "You will find that effort and time have little in common."

"I can't leave Kathy here! Let me take her place instead. Please!"

"I am afraid I can't do that," Sarah stopped in front of the boy, tears now streaming down his face. "However, I am not as cruel as I seem."

Patrick stifled a sob and tried to make sense of this statement.

"I will not take you in the place of your sister, but I also will not take your sister," Sarah watched as the boy's matured brain processed her words and a new light shone through his eyes.

"You mean that you will let us go? Both of us?"

"I mean what I say; yes, each of you may go home. You have proved your true devotion to your sister and I am sure you will learn to be more careful what you say."

Patrick threw himself to the floor at her feet and began thanking her repeatedly. "Please, there is no need for that. I am not a cruel person, I only play the part of an evil queen to teach children a lesson. But you are not an irresponsible child anymore, you are a responsible young man. I can see it in your eyes." The boy blushed and turned his auburn lashes down in modesty. There was a brief moment of silence where he wondered what would happen next. One could never expect anything in this place. Nothing was what it seemed.

"Patrick," Sarah knelt and placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked at her with surprise. "I have seen what it is like in your home. I understand that you feel responsibility to bring your sister home, but it may not be the best place for either of you." A troubled look crossed the boy's face. "If you like, my King and I can find you a home here in the Underground. King Jareth's sister has been wanting to adopt a few children, and I promise you that she will offer you a safe and caring home."

Patrick seemed to be drawing courage together to respond to her offer. "I respect your insight on this, your highness," he faltered slightly, the corner of his eye twitched slightly, "and I agree with you. I love my dad, but he is a different man from what he once was." He watched as Sarah rose to stand before him. Sensing no threat, he dared to continue. "However, this is not a decision I am willing to make this rapidly. I don't want to desert my dad, even though he may have his problems." Sarah noticed his hand slide to a spot on his scalp, touching it tenderly but with a trace of betrayal in his eyes. "I also do not want to speak for my sister. If I am to stay here with Kathy, then she must agree to remain as well."

Sarah nodded, and with a motion she revealed Jareth and Kathy, still in their corner of the room. Patrick stepped toward his sister protectively when he saw that she was with a grown man, but relaxed as Jareth nudged Kathy toward her brother gently. The girl ran across the room and hugged her brother tightly. Patrick fell to his knees and apologized to his sister while checking her for any wounds. Satisfied that she was quite alright, he looked her right in the eyes, "Can you ever forgive me?"

Kathy giggled, "I forgive you. I love you. And I like it here. It's more fun with Sarah and Jareth." Pat looked with shock at the royal couple, afraid that his sister had violated some unspoken rule by addressing the King and Queen so casually. Jareth smiled reassuringly at the boy as Sarah slipped her arm through his and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Come on! You haven't met Jareth yet. He's really nice, and so is Sarah. They played with me while you were out in the maze." Kathy dragged her brother to the King. Patrick glanced between the couple, not sure which one had more authority.

Jareth nodded at the boy. "Sarah has not given you all your options yet. You must forgive her, it was her first time guiding anyone through the Labyrinth. I believe I taught her well though."

Patrick gave a small sarcastic laugh. Some guide; she hadn't really led him anywhere. But he quickly tried to disguise his laugh as a cough. Sarah had seen through the feeble attempt and smiled at his rebelliousness. She would have done the same thing at his age.

If Patrick doubted Sarah's authority because of her apprenticeship to the King, he did not show it. He looked expectantly between Sarah and Jareth, curious about his newfound choices.

Jareth conjured some large poufs and gestured for the boy to sit. The couple arranged themselves on an oblong and ornate pillow, still arm in arm. "If you want to leave, then I shall allow it. But you will never be able to return to the Underground unless there is a serious reason that causes you to say The Words." Kathy let out a sound of dismay and tugged at her brother's pant leg. Jareth held up a hand and she quieted. "Or, you may remain in the Underground. Because the rules allow you a choice, I can let you remain for a few days before you make your final decision. In that time, I can introduce you and your sister to my sister, Queen Corsicana, and King Kade. I can assure you now that they are very kind and will see to it that you are happy here. If you decide to stay, then the Aboveground will shift so that you and your sister are only a vague memory, like a dream or deja vous. If you chose to return, then you will be taken back to the same time and place where you wished your sister away."

Patrick nodded slowly and watched his sister chase the goblins that had snuck back into the room. Kathy paused and exchanged a look of assent with Pat. "Alright. I see no harm in your offer. Kathy seems happy enough with you, so I'll trust her judgment."

So Patrick and Kathy were shown to their own spacious chambers and given clothes to last them a while. Sarah and Jareth said goodnight and Patrick warily acknowledged. Jareth steered Sarah from the room and down the hall to their own chambers.

"I'll contact Corsicana in the morning. I am sure she will be happy with these two should they choose to stay."

Sarah sleepily agreed. "I hope that Patrick will forgive me for traumatizing him," she laughed a little.

"You did a wonderful job today," Jareth turned to face her. "I think you would make a perfect queen."

Sarah heard the meaning in his voice and felt her stomach tighten with suppressed adrenaline.

Jareth took her hand and she held her breath. His eyes were serious and gentle, "Do you want to be the Goblin Queen?"

Sarah stuttered, "I- I'm not entirely sure what you mean."

"I mean what I say. Would you become my queen, my slave, my ruler," he conjured a crystal and swallowed. "Would you become my wife?"

Sarah felt her insides melt as she gazed into his pleading eyes. The last time he had looked at her that way, she had rejected him.

Jareth watched her stammer for words. "Jareth, I- yes!" A silent tear of joy welled in her eyes as Jareth's face broke into an elated smile. He seemed to breathe for the first time. A swift and deft hand motion created a crystal that seemed to shimmer with light. Sarah reached forward and placed her fingers on the orb, expecting it to burst like a crystal. Instead, light erupted from its center and engulfed their hands. Sarah felt as though she were being suspended in a weightless fluid, then it ebbed away and the light died down. On their hands remained a silvery and ornate leaf design. It curled around their wrists and swirled up their index fingers. The crystal had melted away and left shimmering magic dust sprinkled over their hands and stuck to the design. Their hands had come together and been left joined, the pattern twisting from hand to hand creating the illusion of binding them together in vines.

Sarah gave a small gasp of surprise as she examined the henna-like tattoo. "Jareth, what is this? It's beautiful!"

"I suppose they don't have magical wedding bonds in the Aboveground, do they?"

"No, is that what this is? Like a ring?"

Jareth cocked one eyebrow, "A ring?"

"Yes, couples exchange rings at the wedding ceremony. It is a symbol of devotion."

"How interesting. The magic does a similar thing by painting the leaves on our hands. It is a symbol of unity. As long as we are faithful to one another, our symbols will not disappear."

Sarah didn't think she would ever have trouble with fidelity. "Are we officially married now, or is there some sort of ceremony?"

Jareth laughed, "We will hold a large banquet publicly acknowledging our union sometime in the near future. At that time we will have a traditional ceremony. It will be the grandest ball in a century! We will invite all the important members of the Underground-"

Sarah interrupted him by pressing her lips to his. It was another magical moment, their illustrated hands twining through the other's hair.

Later, as Jareth drifted to sleep, Sarah thought about the day's events. She studied her hand and Jareth's, which was wrapped around her. Seeing Patrick run through the maze reminded her so much of her quest to rescue Toby. She wondered if Toby could come to the wedding. "I wish I could see Toby again," she whispered quietly into the still air.

Outside the wind shifted directions.


	11. Of Games and Siblings

**Chapter Eleven**

**Of Games and Siblings**

Sarah and Jareth sat on the large terrace watching Kathy and Patrick explore the gardens. Jareth had just sent a message to his sister informing her of the children and requesting that she come to see them promptly. The sky was overcast but the air warm and full of electricity. Occasionally thunder rolled in the distance.

"I love it when the weather turns like this. It is so mysterious." Sarah sighed and reclined a little to watch the clouds.

Jareth only hummed acknowledgement and looked into the distance pensively. A cold breeze gusted through the trees and ruffled their hair. "Something doesn't feel right to me."

Sarah gave Jareth a look of concern, but just at that moment a beautiful brown owl came soaring into view. Jareth jumped up with a smile and ran to the edge of the balcony.

Soon the owl landed and nipped Jareth's hand affectionately. It jumped back into the air and swirled gracefully into a slender woman with dark brown hair, a bit deeper than Sarah's. Her eyes were not mismatched like Jareth's but fading from purple to green. Her skin was the same fair tone as her brother's and accented by rosy cheeks. She wore a gauzy yellow dress that had many layers composing the skirt and split sleeves.

Corsicana laughed as she kissed her brother's cheeks in greeting. Sarah watched quietly, enjoying the reunion.

"Jareth, my brother! I have missed you over these many years! Your letters never explained why you were so withdrawn." Her voice was rich and melodious, a sound that was relaxing and kind.

"My dear Corsicana, you look more and more gorgeous whenever I see you."

"A compliment from Jareth is sincere indeed! You seem to be in high spirits. I can see your joy in your eyes." She stepped back and took his hands, looking him up and down with the scrutiny of a relative. "You look nourished and content."

Her eyes suddenly caught sight of the new markings that adorned Jareth's hand. "What is this? My big brother is engaged? Why haven't I heard of this yet? Who is your new queen?" She noticed Sarah as she rose and came to Jareth's side. Corsicana immediately took note of the markings on Sarah's hand and took in between her own. Sarah noted that Corsicana shared the intricate markings, though bore a different pattern. The color was still vibrant, gold, with a hint of purple to the edges.

Corsicana smiled and looked into Sarah's eyes, "My new sister," she hugged Sarah with the warmth of family.

"Corsicana, this is Sarah. Sarah, my sister. I am glad the two of you may finally meet."

Sarah motioned the others to the sitting area as she explained to Corsicana "We have only been engaged since late last night. You are the first to know."

"I am happy that Jareth has finally found someone to make him happy. He is so difficult to please," she pinched him teasingly.

"Actually, Sarah found me. It was a strange circumstance that we are together now," Jareth and Sarah then told Corsicana about Sarah's first adventure to the Underground and her consequent return. Jareth left out the current situation with Toby, and Sarah left it unspoken for the time being to keep the mood joyous.

"Now then, let me meet those children you told me about. Are they around?"

Jareth rose and looked out over the garden, "They are somewhere out there. Shall we go find them?"

"Yes please, I hope they will like me." Corsicana jumped up and they made their way into the garden.

Sarah chatted with her soon-to-be sister-in-law as they looked about for the children. Soon they spotted them skipping around a fountain.

"Kathy! Patrick! I'd like you to come meet Queen Corsicana." The kids ran over and gave a little bow to the Queen.

"Well hello! It's a pleasure to meet you two," Corsicana looked at them and smiled. "What were you two playing?"

"We're pretending that we are like the children in _The Chronicles of Narnia_, but instead of being in Narnia we are in the Underground. Have you ever heard of that series?" Patrick looked doubtful that a Fae would have read Aboveground fiction.

"Jareth and I used to play the same thing when we both lived here." Jareth nodded in agreement.

"I liked to pretend I was Peter," Jareth grinned, "and Cora liked to play Susan. Our cousins were a little younger and were always Edmund and Lucy."

Kathy smiled happily, "Do you want to come play with us?"

"I'd love to. Sarah? Jareth? How about you two?"

Sarah and Jareth exchanged a brief look. It would be best for Cora to get to know the children on her own. "That's alright. We will go see about lunch, won't we, Jareth?"

"Yes we shall. Come back up in about an hour and we will eat a little something."

The children were already racing off with Corsicana to play their game. Jareth led Sarah back up toward the castle, meandering through the forest.

"Well, it seems they already are getting along well. I do hope the children accept our offer, I would love to have those two as a niece and nephew."

"I agree," Jareth murmured. He seemed very quiet despite all the joy that surrounded them. Something was bothering him.

"Are you alright?" Sarah asked with concern.

"Something feels strange. I think something is about to happen."

"Do you think the children will be safe?" Sarah was now very worried.

Jareth shook his head as if in a daze, "Yes, they will be fine. But magic is flowing through the wind. I don't think any good will come from this magic."

They had just reached the stairs, but Sarah put a hand to her head and leaned into Jareth for support. "One moment please, I feel unbalanced. Perhaps the magic is affecting me as well."

"Perhaps," was all Jareth said. He let her rest for a moment, then the two ascended the steps to the terrace. A number of serving goblins were taking the table setting inside. One of them hurried up to the couple and bowed low to the ground.

"Your highnesses, we have moved the lunch inside because of the gathering storm clouds and the increasing wind. We hope this is acceptable with your majesties," he looked up to Jareth with wide, innocent eyes.

Jareth nodded silently and led Sarah to a chair. He felt uneasy as well and so they sat together in quiet contemplation.

Several hours later, Cora and the children were finishing a large and filling lunch with Jareth and Sarah. Kathy and Pat had been getting along perfectly and Kathy was already bubbling about everything Cora had told her about her castle.

"Cora told me that she has a tall tower that views her whole kingdom and that sometimes she sleeps in there because she likes to watch the stars. And King Kade raises horses! Cora said that she used to have a unicorn when she was my age and it even let her ride it. Kade has two winged horses just like Pegasus that are white and black and Cora said that he is going to breed them and maybe I can come over and ride one of them with her if it's ok with you guys." Kathy took a deep breath and then a sip of blackberry juice.

"Well, that sounds lovely!" Sarah was very curious about the other castle. Perhaps they might visit there with the children.

"Can we go visit Cora's castle?" Patrick looked eager. He had been particularly fascinated with Kade's armory and fencing room.

Jareth grinned, "I don't see why not."

Pat and Kathy exchanged looks of delight, then Pat quickly regained composure and finished his cake.

"Can we go today?"

Corsicana looked to Sarah for silent permission, "The real question is _may_ we, and I say yes. We'd better go soon if we want to explore before nightfall. May they stay the night in my castle? I have just the perfect adjoining chambers in the north tower."

"Can we please?" the children echoed. It certainly seemed that they were getting settled.

"Of course you may," Jareth smiled kindly at his sister. "We will drop in tomorrow?"

"That is perfect. Alright, let's come stand by the balcony and I will arrange transportation."

The children watched with fascination as Cora created a transporting crystal and beckoned them closer. "Now, take my hand." The kids took her outstretched hand, and then she waved goodbye with her free hand. The children did likewise, then she pushed their hands into the floating orb and they vanished in a puff of golden-green dust.

"If she can do that, then why fly?" Sarah mused aloud.

"It is very trying and complicated. Besides, it is more interesting to fly," he gave her a sideways smile and she laughed.

The couple watched as the sun pulled orange into the sky. They had eaten late and the winter time was bringing a slow nightfall. Sarah sighed and leaned against her fiancée in content. The sounds of the coming night were romantic and quixotically inviting. A soft yet strong breeze ruffled Jareth's fantastic blonde hair.

Suddenly the birds fell silent and the forest seemed to suspend animation. The wind died away completely and hovered as if waiting for something.

"Jareth, I don't trust this," Sarah grasped his arm and scanned the horizon. A bird was flying toward the castle. The couple watched it in horror. Sarah knew this bird was not anything friendly. A cackling raven caw echoed across the trees and the wind worked into a frenzy. Through squinted eyes, Sarah realized that another bird flew alongside the big black raven.

"Sarah, whatever you do, don't provoke her. Your defense is still not strong enough to combat her powers," Jareth rose his voice to battle the wind, which was whipping their hair about fiercely.

"Are you saying that's-" a violent gust of wind forced Sarah backward, nearly pushing her off her feet. The raven landed and cackled as it spun into the air. Before their eyes it grew into the tall and threatening Andromeda. The cackle morphed into the dark, honeyed laugh of the evil sorceress.

"Had you forgotten me, little princess?" she mocked, sneering at Sarah.

She did her best not to pounce on her, but stared coldly into her obsidian stare.

"Jareth: I suppose you were beginning to think I wasn't coming back."

Jareth stepped forward, and opened his mouth to speak.

"I am not accustomed to granting wishes, but consider it a wedding gift," Andromeda gestured to the falcon that landed next to her on the railing. "I do hope I will be invited. Such a union has not been seen in the Underground for over a millennia; The hansom and sought-after king marrying the weak mortal." Sarah started forward in anger but Jareth held her back.

Andromeda laughed, "Feisty, isn't she? But still so sentimental and vulnerable. Why, only last night she was wishing to see her baby brother. Well, I decided to make amends by giving you what you desire. You wished to see him, so here he is-"

The falcon spun into the air and changed into the silhouette of a boy, then grew taller and taller. Sarah's eyes widened when his form grew taller even than herself.

"Toby-" Sarah was speechless and tears welled in her eyes. Before her stood not the boy of ten years, but a young man in his twenties. There was no mistaking his eyes and sandy-blonde hair, but somehow he had grown over twice his age. She looked him up and down slowly and then rushed forward to hug him. Suddenly Sarah found herself on the floor and her cheek burning from a hard backhanded slap. She looked up at his raised hand and then into his cold eyes.

"Andromeda, why did you bring me to see this loathsome hypocrite?" Toby's voice was deep and spiteful.

"Now now, Galahan; let's be civil. After all, she is your sister," Andromeda savored to hurt look on Sarah's face. Jareth had crouched to take Sarah in his arms, but watched in silent shock the scene before him.

"She is a vile creature of deceit." Sarah stared in disbelief at her half-brother.

Andromeda moved over to Toby and laced her arm through his, resting her head on his shoulder. "There's no need to be so cruel, love."

"Toby, don't you remember who I am? I'm your sister, Sarah-"

"Be quiet, you fool. You are no sister of mine. I would rather be the brother of a goblin than be related to you." Sarah clung to Jareth and gawked as he kissed Andromeda on the cheek and whispered in her ear, "Please love, let us go home."

"Toby, please listen-"

"My name is not Toby. I gave up that foul Aboveground name long ago. My name is Galahan, and you would be wise to use it if you must refer to me."

Sarah stood, leaving Jareth crouching in worried thought.

"Toby, what has happened to you?" Sarah mused aloud.

Galahan made a sudden movement as if to hit her again, but Andromeda's lightning reflexes caught his hand and held it frozen. "Galahan, mind your manners. After all, she is soon to be queen of the Goblin Kingdom."

"Yes. I suppose it might be degrading to touch her."

Now Jareth rose in indignation. Andromeda cut him off swiftly, "You must have noticed how much he has grown. Surely you understand that he still lacks the manners of the adult that his body has become. I have laced him with magic and grown him with care. I suppose it was no surprise that we have fallen in love-"

"Love!" Sarah could not contain her anger any longer. "This isn't love, this is kidnap! You have stolen his childhood and forced him to love you through magic spells and gimmicks!"

Andromeda swirled in a whirlwind of black dust and materialized directly in front of Sarah, "Watch your tongue, mortal. The words you say cannot be taken back, and I warn you that I am not as forgiving as the sniveling little prince you claim to love."

"Toby, remember before! Remember how we used to sit and talk! Remember Lancelot and Mom and Dad!"

Andromeda raised her palm and flung Sarah across the terrace until she slammed into the wall ten yards away.

Jareth conjured a crystal before Andromeda could turn around and hurled it at the witch. It stopped just inches before shattering on her back. Andromeda turned slowly, a smirk played across her lips. She looked into the crystal then looked up at Jareth.

"Trying to remove my powers? Dear Jareth, you realize that would only trap Galahan with me forever. I am sure that is not what you are trying to do, so I can only conclude that you are rashly attached to that feeble mortal who lies bleeding against your castle wall." Jareth started to run to her, but thought better of turning his back to the sorceress.

"You took away my chance at happiness, it seems only fair that I take away yours." She lifted her hand swiftly and a green orb of light and death formed in her palm. The next motions came at the same instant. Jareth began again the balancing crystal to remove Andromeda's powers. Toby shot out a hand.

He held Andromeda's wrist. She looked inquisitively into his eyes. Something burned like fire behind them, but his face was shadowed by confusion. "Don't," was all he said. Andromeda looked at him for a moment, then squeezed her hand and Jareth's old crystal and her deadly green one combined and compressed. She released it and a red rose fell through garnet dust to land on the ground at Jareth's feet. She turned with Toby's arm through her own and they shattered a crystal of transportation.

As Jareth watched the rose, is turned black and wilted away into nothingness.

He turned and ran to Sarah, who was regaining consciousness. Her back was slumped against the wall, blood dripping from where her back had struck. She winced as Jareth helped her to lie flat.

"Sarah, are you-"

"I'll be alright. I scraped it pretty badly but I stopped most of the force with counter magic." She tried to push herself up but screamed in agony. Jareth noticed that her arm was on a strange angle. He began murmuring spells and pressed the arm back to its normal position. Sarah took a sharp breath, but the pain was lessened greatly by his spell.

"Your shoulder dislocated. We will need to call a healer. I am only glad that she was afraid to use iron-"

"Iron?"

"Yes. Cold iron is the one thing that destroys magic. A wound from cold iron will not heal through magic means."

Sarah thought about this. Jareth released a crystal to the wind and momentarily a small Fae man appeared. He was dressed in robes of amber silk and had the strange appearance of being both old and young at the same time. He was bald and had creases around his eyes but still had a youthful glow to his skin and eyes, which were an icy blue.

"Ah, I see." He immediately began speaking a complicated spell which went on for half a minute. "It is safe to move her now. She fractured her back, but I can heal her soon enough. How does she get herself into so much trouble?"

Sarah looked into his eyes. All the pain had drained from her body but it made it difficult to hear and her vision had gone blurry. The healer looked into her eyes and nodded.

"She will make a fine wife. She is strong, this one. I fear for her brother, but I sense that he is breaking the spell even now. Yes, yes, it will take time, but she did the right thing by planting doubt in his mind. He cannot believe everything that Andromeda had told him now, and so shall begin the dissolve of her spell over him."

The healer's gentle monotone of words soothed her and she drifted to sleep while Jareth transported her to their chambers. The last conscious thought she had was the look Toby had given her just before Andromeda threw her: A look of surprise and dazed recognition.

She was finally starting to help him.


	12. More History Repeating

**Chapter Twelve**

**More History Repeating**

Sarah rolled slowly back into consciousness, savoring the warm and fluffy feel of the bed and the cold, fresh air that circulated through the room. Her head and back were a little sore, but that was to be expected. But Toby, she had seen him. Granted, it was not how she wanted to see him, and things hadn't gone as perfectly as she had imagined, but she had made a start. Hopefully things would get better soon.

She yawned, stretched, and smiled. Her eyes cracked open to look at the intricate design that adorned her hand.

She was going to be married. And not only was she going to be married, but she was going to be married to the man that lay next to her, smiling with the pleasure of watching her awaken.

"Good morning Sarah. You look pleased."

She rubbed her eyes and smiled. She found his hand and placed her palm against his, the designs binding them in spirit. Jareth kissed her forehead and ran a finger along her cheek. "How are you feeling?"

"As well as can be expected. I'm sore, but it was well worth it. I saw the look Toby gave me. Something cracked in the spell, I could tell by his eyes."

"I'm glad you agree. The healer could sense the same thing in your reactions. I admit I was more preoccupied trying to see if you were alive." He smirked and gave her hand a squeeze. "Now my mind is a bit more clear."

"How did the healer understand all that? It was as if he knew me like my spirit."

"A trained healer does not need words, only expression. He has studied the art of the body and healing for many millennia; not a blink is wasted on that man. He is the most experienced there is in the Underground."

"How amazing." Sarah snuggled into the covers and pressed against Jareth's warmth. His hair grazed her face like a cat's whiskers.

"We need to get up soon." Jareth sounded as if he would rather remain snuggled with her for another couple of hours.

"Why? Oh yes, the children." Another thought for her wonderful morning: A couple of charming children might soon become her niece and nephew. And she was going to go visit another Fae castle.

They rested for another quarter of an hour, then rose and dressed. It was nearing ten and the sun streaked warn patterns across the stone floor.

"Cora sent us an owl late last night inviting us to a late breakfast," Jareth called over to Sarah's closet. "We are supposed to be there by eleven."

"Sounds more like a brunch to me," Sarah selected a simple gauzy gown of royal purple and gold.

"A what?" Jareth poked his head out from his closet, a shirt half pulled on around his shoulders.

"A brunch," Jareth eyed her curiously. "Have you never heard of a brunch before?" Jareth shook his head and grabbed a pair of purple velvet pants to match Sarah. He enjoyed coordinating with her and she seemed to be amused by it.

"A brunch is a late breakfast and an early lunch combined. Br- breakfast, unch- lunch. My grandmother used to have them all the time. It's an excuse to sleep in and still eat good breakfast pastries."

Jareth smirked and grabbed his black boots. Sarah emerged and gave a twirl. Her skirt was so light and layered that it billowed all around her while she danced merrily to the bathroom.

"Are you ready, pet?"

"Almost- yes." He heard the sound of jewelry clinking. "Yes, I'm ready."

"You look radiant."

"And you look like a glam-rock star."

Jareth raised an eyebrow inquisitively.

"A glam-rocker? Glamorous rock?" Sarah offered, attempting to explain her Aboveground lingo.

"I know what a glam-rocker is. I happen to be friends with a vampire that lived in the Aboveground as a rock star for a time. He has slipped from public view now. You think I look like a rock star?"

Sarah gave him the once over: "Yes."

Jareth laughed and led her to the balcony. "Time to teach you to fly. I want you to see where it is that Corsicana lives."

"Me? Fly? Now?" Sarah looked about worriedly and wrung her hands, "I don't know, is it difficult?"

"Transforming is the tricky part. Flying is second nature once you become a bird."

Sarah nodded and bravely stood next to Jareth in the sunlight. It was a long way down to the ground, and while she wasn't afraid of heights, she had never actually flown before either.

"Simply believe. Believe you can fly, believe you have a bird's spirit within your soul and then let it break free and conquer your body. When you land, it is the same principle in reverse. Believe your bird soul is once more returning to its home."

Sarah stood and searched for the feeling. "I believe," she whispered, closed her eyes, and felt the strange feeling of something airy fluttering out of her core and through her mouth. It made her think of the ancient Egyptians and their Ka, and then she remembered reading something about ancient Egyptians in the library at the castle.

Suddenly Sarah found herself on the ground, fluttering her wings madly until she stood on the stone. Above her on the rail was Jareth, the white owl of her dreams long since past. She cocked her head about to take in her own appearance.

Jareth flew into their bedroom and perched on the counter by the mirror. She followed suit and peeked at her reflection. Her feathers were a glistening obsidian black, a steak of red bordered by white across her eyes. She was small, about the size of a crow, but her wings were thin and curved like the blade of a samurai sword. She remembered glancing through the pictures in her father's bird watching guides at home. She was a swift.

_Is there a reason we become the birds we do? _Sarah thought.

She opened her mouth and let out a high pitched _shree shree!_ and then jumped into the air. It was an amazing sensation, flying. The wind, the lightness. Behind her, she heard the low hoot of Jareth and he took flight out over the valley.

Sarah darted after him and swooped around; flying was instinctive for her bird form. It was amazing how simple the transformation had been.

They flew for fifteen minutes over the tops of oaks and redwoods until they crested the bordering mountain range. Sarah cried out in her bird call as a whole new kingdom came into view. A far distant set of mountainous hills gleamed white with a spectacularly large palace of modern construction and enormous green gardens of low hedge mazes and lakes. Sun glinted off the eastern towers and dazzled their eyes.

_How familiar this looks_ Sarah chirped to herself. She half heard Jareth thinking about Corsicana's wedding. They held the ceremonies out in the gardens on a warm summer day. Sarah could even sense the location where Kade had proposed. It was a strange wave of recognition.

Soon enough Jareth and Sarah landed in an open courtyard amidst artistic rock fountains and grand stone platforms. Jareth whirled into his normal self and turned to the little swift that had perched on his shoulder.

"Now you must contain the spirit," he said quietly. She nipped at his ear playfully, then hopped into the air and tried very hard to contain the spirit. The bird landed ungracefully, its mind clearly concentrating on other things, and then quite suddenly it exploded in amethyst and ruby dust, revealing a disheveled Sarah sitting awkwardly on the ground, legs splayed about her, arms still stretched out like wings.

Jareth laughed till tears shone through his lashes and Sarah brushed herself off in a huff. "Oh please. It was only my first time," she mumbled as she adjusted her dress.

"I know, and much better than mine. I was ten, and I crashed into a wall the first time I tried to fly. Then when I transformed back I was still hooting like an owl because the spirit was trying to get out again."

"Well yes, but you were younger too. It's not so bad when you have an excuse."

"But at least you didn't have much of an audience. I tried my first flight when leaving a party at my cousin's castle. I begged my father to teach me, I thought I was ready, and he finally gave in just to teach me a lesson in pride."

Sarah laughed a little at her fiancée as three shimmering beings walked toward them. Their hair seemed as though it were defying gravity, their stride airy, as though they were gliding on air.

"Welcome to the palace of King Kade and Queen Corsicana, rulers of the Seelie court," the three faeries chanted in chorus.

Sarah took a step back and regarded the trio quizzically. "But I thought faeries were tiny and mean, last time I was here-"

"Shows what you know," a voice said off to one side. Sarah glanced around frantically. There was no one there.

"This way please, breakfast is waiting in the garden."

Sarah and Jareth strolled behind the three gliding faeries and Sarah realized that they all had shimmering wings that flickered into vision and then disappeared. She followed them a little warily.

"The faeries you saw outside the Labyrinth are Unseelie pixies. They dislike mortals and enjoy tormenting the Seelie. You took what Hobble had said for granted."

"How did you know what _Hoggle_ said to me?"

Jareth watched Sarah sideways, "You were just talking about it."

"I was?"

"Jareth! Sarah!" her thoughts were interrupted by a joyous greeting from Cora and the children, who were sitting at a round table in the middle of a cactus garden. Sarah marveled at all the succulents, then realized that they were on a large round embankment nearly twenty stories above a prospering city. She blinked several times, feeling awash with deja vous.

"Welcome to the faerie kingdom!" Cora kissed their cheeks warmly. Sarah glanced over her shoulder and saw a tall and hansom Fae rise from the table.

"Oh, how rude of me. Sarah, this is Kade, my husband. This was his castle until I moved in and redecorated," she laughed. Kade looked remarkably like Jareth, though his hair was chestnut and short but still spiked in messy tufts. His eyes shone with amber and green, accenting the ruddy color in his lips and blushing his cheeks. His clothes were a variation of Jareth's, his forest pants were loose and tucked into tall brown boots, the shirt cream colored in a long renaissance style, also tucked in and belted at the waist with a black sash. Sarah spotted a silver necklace with a sickle moon and large sapphire.

"Welcome, Sarah," Kade said as he kissed her cheeks lightly. "I have heard that we are soon to become siblings, is that so?" His voice sounded dark and warm, though not a bit frightening.

"Yes, Jareth and I are engaged." Kade nodded and smiled at Jareth, kissing his cheeks in greeting then embracing him like a brother. Jareth looked very happy to see him.

"Please, let us sit out here. It is so wonderful to enjoy the sunshine. Although I must admit it is getting rather hot-" Cora waved her arms casually in arcs across the sky and a sheer periwinkle canopy appeared overhead and shaded their eyes and skin from the brighter rays of sun. "Come on, breakfast won't be served for another half-hour."

The group moved under the comfortable shade and took places around the table. It was lain all in white and the same lilac color of the canopy.

"Sarah and I will be sisters, and then we can paint our nails and style our hair together. Isn't that what you do in the Aboveground?" Cora looked eagerly at Sarah, indicating her interest in foreign customs.

Sarah laughed at the innocent expression on Cora's face. "I suppose so. I have no sister as of yet, but I am sure we will have many wonderful times sharing our customs." Cora clapped her hands in delight.

"Have you set a date for the ceremony?" Kade asked as Cora gabbed Sarah's hand and studied the pattern around her wrist.

"Not as of yet. The castle could use some updating before we host a ball. I am sure you will agree that it is quite out of date." The men began to discuss kingly duties, and Sarah fell to chatting with Cora.

"What a beautiful pattern! And look how similar ours are," she stretched her hand next to Sarah's. They indeed bore very similar leaves and patterns. "They are different with everyone. My cousin's is a spider web with dew drops of pearl. It is very unusual."

Kathy and Pat waved at the party from a high tower and then disappeared to explore more of the palace.

"Cora, why do different people transform into different types of birds?" Sarah asked, waving back to the children.

"Each type reflects different personality traits. Why?"

"Jareth taught me to fly today. I changed into a swift."

"A swift! How unusual, especially for a mortal." Cora thought about this for a moment.

"What does it mean?"

Cora rubbed her neck thoughtfully. "Generally it indicates strength, knowledge, and feminine characteristics-" Sarah raised an eyebrow. She had been a tomboy growing up. "But it also indicates psychic abilities."

Sarah looked at Cora. She was watching her steadily. "Does this mean I have psychic powers?"

"I don't know. It might be an indicator. Have you ever noticed anything along those lines?"

"Not really. Well actually, I suppose just this morning I had a strange experience: I was thinking about something and Jareth answered my thoughts as if I had spoke to him. I thought maybe I had wondered aloud on accident."

"Try thinking of something meaningful but direct your thoughts toward me, as if you were speaking to me in your mind."

Sarah tried to think about complimenting the style of the palace, but even as she tried she knew that her thoughts were drifting toward Toby. Cora closed her eyes tightly and threw a hand to her temple. Her mouth grimaced as if indicating some painful headache. All in an instant she gasped and sat back in her chair. She simply sat and breathed for a moment.

"So, did you hear anything?" Sarah inquired tentatively. Jareth and Kade had stopped to watch Cora, who was breathing heavily.

"You are very gifted with psychic talents."

"What?" Jareth almost jumped from his seat.

Cora looked at him with wide eyes, "Are you sure she is mortal? She projected every memory of Toby concerning the Underground, and then some."

Jareth and Kade looked at Sarah, who sat in shock watching Corsicana.

"She transformed into a swift, but I didn't think much of it at the time," Jareth mumbled. "Her powers must have concentrated."

Cora explained to Sarah that the transformation is also a way of meditating and gathering your natural powers. "You will have very strong powers after regaining Fae or human form."

"But that doesn't explain how she came by psychic powers," Kade interrupted. "They are not easily given." They all stared at her closely. Sarah blushed under so much scrutiny.

Kade looked her up and down as if gauging her size. "Sarah, how old are you?"

"Twenty-four," she responded shyly.

"So young," whispered Cora. Sarah studied her face. She looked no more than thirty but had to be hundreds, if not thousands of years old.

Kade closed his eyes and fell into deep thought, "Then how old is your mother?"

Sarah could not see the logic of this question but answered obediently: "Forty-five."

"Making your grandmother…?" he continued.

Now she began to see his logic, but she could hardly believe it. "I don't know, somewhere in her late seventies, but what are you saying? You can't seriously think-"

"What about your great-grandmother?" he cut her off.

"She's dead. She died before I was born. I guess she would have been over a hundred. Her name was Amelia. I don't know her maiden name. Anything else you want to know?" Sarah said with slight irritation at being left out of their thought process.

Kade and Cora exchanged looks of understanding recognition and Jareth simply stared.

Sarah glanced around helplessly at the Fae surrounding her. "Well? What does that mean?"

Jareth responded in surprise, "Sarah, why didn't you ever tell me?"

"What? That I had a relative that might have been around a hundred were she alive?"

Jareth rolled his eyes in exasperation, "No, that you are related to Amelia."

"I didn't know it was important. What does it mean?"

"Amelia, your great-grandmother, has been to the Underground before," Kade began. "She used Faerie magic when she was seventeen. She was going to run away from her farm and eleven older siblings."

Sarah nodded impatiently, "Yes, yes, I know. It wasn't the life for her, she knew she was being suffocated, wanted to explore the world, etcetera, etcetera. She disappeared for a time and the next anyone knew she was somewhere in her mid-twenties and married with a son. So she was in the Underground?"

Jareth grinned at her temper. She was becoming more like him, and he like her for that matter. "Yes, she was in the Underground. She used Faerie magic to bring her luck in her escape but accidentally brought herself to the Underground. She was here for a short time, but married a Fae noble and had a son. The Fae man, Lord Deshvat Devoir, is a well-known seer. He is still considered by most the master of mind reading."

"He is still alive? Why did Amelia return to the Aboveground?" Sarah interjected.

Kade picked up the story. "Lord Devoier is alive and well. He looks not much older than he was then. We are rather good friends," Kade smiled with some inner anecdote. "Amelia and her son, Alrende, were forced to return to the Aboveground when Alrende was only a baby. Seelie extremists threatened the Devoir line with removal from the court."

"Why? Who are Seelie?"

"Seelie is a general term for Fae of pure heritage. They tend to work light magic, as opposed to the Unseelie, who tend to work dark. The Unseelie are less discriminating of pure heritage and are mostly composed of cross-breeds. However, the conservative Seelie believe that only those of pure lineage may remain in the court. They threatened to not only remove Lord Devoir's title, but to throw his entire living lineage out of the court. Lord Devoir's father and grandmother held very important positions in the court, and if they were to leave then more conservative Seelie would gain control and threaten the peace with the Unseelie."

Sarah furrowed her brows, "You mean to say that is was politics?" Kade nodded. "But I know I had a great-grandfather David and my grandfather's name is Allen. Are those the same people as Alrende and Deshvat?"

"Yes. Lord Deshvat Devoir came with Amelia to the Aboveground and remained with her for forty years, altering his appearance to keep the façade of ageing. Then he began to appear unusually young and faked a mortal death. He visited her in secret until the end of her life, but Alrende never knew of his Fae ancestry. These were the terms of the Seelie court."

Sarah nodded worriedly, "But Amelia married a Fae, she had a child, she lived in the Underground; why didn't she live longer? Wouldn't she have had Fae magic?" She looked into Jareth's eyes wondering what would happen to her. She didn't want to think of Jareth alone after she passed into the next world.

Jareth took her hand comfortingly, "The magic fades in the Aboveground. It remains dormant but can resurface with prolonged visits to the Underground."

Sarah's fear did not ebb. "What about the Seelie court? Wont they consider me impure?"

The other three laughed and Sarah relaxed a little.

"Jareth is not of the Seelie court," Cora explained. "Neither am I. Our lineage is mostly of moderate Seelie and interbreeds with many other races. We have traces of vampire, druid, goblin-"

Cora broke off with another laugh at the startled expression on Sarah's face. Sarah couldn't imagine any Fae interbreeding with a goblin. Jareth was nothing at all like his subjects and she had always assumed he ruled them because the Goblins were too unintelligent to rule themselves. Over the past, she had come to realize this was a half-truth.

"Yes, goblin. Strange, no? But we are primarily Fae and considered royalty of the Unseelie court. Kade is Seelie, and when we married we created the modern Seelie-Unseelie court. We are not in favor with much of the Seelie court, but the tides are turning to a balance."

Sarah nodded, once again at ease with the situation.

Just then an number of faerie servers brought out great platters of food. Kade excused himself and vanished to find the children.

Cora cleared her throat, "Jareth, the children have asked if they may remain here for a week. I understand that you have given them a week to decide about their future residence," the air hung with an unasked question.

"I think it is most appropriate for them to remain with you and Kade. You are the prospective parents, after all."

Cora nodded with a smile, "Would you like to spend the week with us as well?" she looked between Jareth and Sarah.

"We are delighted by this proposition, but regretfully we must decline," Sarah said. "We would love to visit again soon, and invite you and Kade to our castle as well. You are welcome anytime."

"Thank you, as are you," Cora grinned. Sarah mentally projected the thought that she was anxious to begin remodeling the castle and make wedding preparations.

Jareth got a confused look in his eye, "What's all this about remodeling?"

"It would seem you need practice direction your thoughts!" They all laughed as Kade, Pat, and Kathy arrived.

They chatted amiably while eating. Kathy was particularly pleased with the unicorn stable and Patrick was eagerly awaiting archery lessons with Kade. After the many courses were finished, Corsicana led the children off to play and Kade took Sarah and Jareth for a tour of the palace.

The grounds were immense; it would be impossible to view it all in one day. They wandered through the towers and across the courtyard. Sarah was highly impressed with the large collection of art. Each room was naturally lit with skylights and contained themed paintings, sketches, statues, sculptures, and all imaginable types of mediums.

"Oh Sarah, you will like this room. It is Cora's favorite," Kade briskly led them to a cavernous room that held countless artifacts. Sarah was in awe already by the amount, but upon closer investigation she realized why the room was so special.

"It's all from the Aboveground!" She laughed, gazing up at a free-form statue made out of Coca-Cola bottles. To the right of it was a demonstration of brightly painted hubcaps and metal bars. Hanging from the ceiling was an unusual mobile of bicycles, tires, and what appeared to be the barrel of a washing machine. She noticed that on the walls hung paintings reminiscent of Picasso, Dali, DaVinci, and many other famous artists. She could recognize their styles, but not the actual paintings.

"All of these pieces were either inspired by Fae who have been Aboveground or Abovegrounders who have been here. We have collected them for generations," Kade explained while Sarah darted around the room to see all the pieces.

She came to a sudden halt when she saw a portrait of a woman that looked almost exactly like herself. The woman had red hair and a wider face, but the same nose and chin. The lips were full and drawn sensuously into a little bow. Sarah immediately recognized it as her great-grandmother Amelia.

"Yes, it's Amelia," Kade confirmed. "One of Lord Deshvat's friends painted it just after they were married. Deshvat kindly donated it to our collection once she left. He has several other portraits that are much larger than this hanging in his home."

Sarah smiled and nodded. In Amelia's hand was a red leather book. Now she knew where it had come from. When Sarah was a little girl she had found the book in a box in the attic one rainy Saturday. Since then she had read it enough times to know many parts of it by heart. Sarah laughed a little as she mused over everything that little book had done for her great-grandmother, and now for her.

It was at that exact moment that Sarah knew how she would save Toby.


	13. Ch ch ch ch Changes

**Chapter Thirteen**

**Ch-ch-ch-ch Changes**

Jareth and Sarah finished their tour inside the building. Sarah said nothing of her plan, deciding it would be best to wait until they returned to their castle. Their tour ended for the afternoon in the gardens. Sarah stood at the top of a steep waterfall that trickled over tan bricks into a craterlike well with swirling hedge mazes.

"How beautiful. It looks like The Getty Museum in Los Angeles," Sarah breathed.

Kade smiled and looked out at the horizon of a setting sun, "Corsicana was very inspired when we visited there a few decades ago."

Sarah smiled distractedly. They started to walk up to the courtyard.

"Sarah! Jareth!" Kathy was running to them to say goodbye. Jareth gave the children hugs and began to discuss something with his sister. "Sarah," Kathy whispered, tugging at her flowing dress.

"What is it?" She bent down so Kathy could whisper in her ear.

"Do you believe in faeries?" she said under her breath something mischievous underlying her seriousness.

"Of course I do, we are in the land of the faeries, aren't we?"

"If you believe in faeries, clap your hands," she repressed a giggle. Patrick cast Kathy a sideways glance and the rest turned to look at her. Sarah raised her eyebrows in confusion, but straightened and clapped twice.

A shimmer sparkled along the air in a wave as if the sound had carried some shimmering dust. Sarah blinked.

"Clap harder," Patrick advised.

Sarah began to applaud and watched the shimmer form into a whole throng of faeries. Her mouth fell open in disbelief. Somewhere behind her, Sarah heard Cora giggling.

"The Seelie court has decided to welcome you and offer their blessings to you and Jareth," Corsicana said solemnly. "Pat, Kathy and I had a lot of fun deciding how to introduce you to them.

Sarah still stood speechless. "What- why- how-" she stammered, looking over the smiling faces. Shimmering wings glittered in downplayed extravagance throughout the crowd. When someone stretched their wings, they became solid for a moment or two and then faded to a glimmer. They all wore spectacular dresses and clothes of bright fabric and flowers. She then remembered that faeries had the power to conceal themselves from people when they wished. "Have they been here the whole time?"

"Yes, most of them live here or in the city below. This isn't just our home, it also contains the capital building. We frequently hold gatherings in this courtyard. Oh Sarah, you must come sometime to the festivals! We have dancing and a feast and so much amazing entertainment! I'm sure you would love it!"

Sarah nodded silently, eyes wide with amazement.

A woman in green and gold stepped forward from the crowd, her wings fluttering lightly. She breathed out words from a foreign language resonating like Gaelic with the passion of French, and the crowd repeated it. Then she repeated the chant in the common language, "Grace the royals King Jareth and Sarah! Blessed be the Kingdom of the Goblins!" The crowd repeated her words again, then bowed their heads and fluttered their wings in a sign of respect.

The woman in green walked up to Jareth and Sarah and took their hands briefly. "As the ambassador of the Seelie, we congratulate the two of you for your joyous union and welcome Sarah as a member of the court."

"Thank you," Sarah blinked and bowed her head. The entire court bowed in return.

Sarah watched open mouthed as the court dispersed and went calmly about their day. Jareth gave Cora a kiss goodbye and Sarah quickly followed him. They transformed into birds and set off to return home.

Once they returned, Jareth went off to do some work on the planning of a new bathhouse in the Goblin City, and Sarah scurried off to the library.

By the time Jareth was finished with his work for the day, Sarah was surrounded by at least twenty books and was scribbling furiously over a long scroll of parchment. As he approached, he saw her wave her hand to make the parchment grow another foot and then continued writing on the blank space.

"Sarah," he ventured wearily, noting that every book was about magical architecture, "What's all this?"

She jumped, "What? Oh, just some planning. Do you think we ought to build a courtyard adjacent to the throne room?"

"Oh no," he muttered, rubbing a hand across his face. "You aren't serious, are you?"

"Of course I am! You saw how lovely your sister's palace looks. I always did think this place was looking rather outdated, and that just confirmed it."

Jareth tried to protest, "You are above all that petty stylishness though-" he fell silent at the look Sarah shot him.

"It's not just about that. This castle is ready for a change. I've looked up nearly all the spells I will need. I think I can do this myself-"

Jareth suppressed a look of horror. "But really, Sarah, don't you think we should at least hire a decorator?"

"Nonsense. I took a few engineering classes in college and I used to watch plenty of home decorating shows. I want to have some fun with this!"

Jareth sat down next to her to look at the notes she had taken. The spells were all quite accurate and her sketches looked tasteful. "Well, if this is what you want-"

Sarah planted a kiss on his cheek and hopped up to go speak with the goblin that ran the library. "Will you please leave these books and materials out for me, Bingly? I will be back tomorrow morning."

"Sure thing, Sarah. I'll bring you some coco too," the little Goblin squeaked in a well mannered accent.

"Come on Jareth! Let me show you where the courtyard will be. It will be the perfect place for the ball! We should have it this spring. Maybe late spring, around the end of May."

Jareth relented to being dragged around the castle in the fading light to envision Sarah's plan. He was worried to have his beloved castle tampered with, but he trusted Sarah's judgment and knew he would get used to the change. Whatever kept her happy was alright with him.

After they had made a roundabout trip of the castle, they went off to have a light dinner. They sat in silence for a few moments, Jareth thinking about the new style of the castle. Sarah poked at her plate nervously, and just as Jareth was about to ask what was wrong, she took a deep breath.

"Jareth, I know how I can get through to Toby," she said strongly. "I need to go back to the Aboveground to get something."

Jareth eyed her cautiously, "Alright. We can go tonight if you like." She smiled half-heartedly and nodded. He could tell that she would explain her plan in due time.

They finished dinner quickly after that and Sarah looked to Jareth with a trace of worry. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she felt the spinning sensation of moving through time and space.

They landed inside her room. Everything was just as she had left it a year prior, though now four o'clock sunlight was strewn over the floor. The bed in disarray from her restless night after Andromeda had poisoned her. On the floor lay Lancelot. Sarah stooped and picked him up, pressing his worn plush fluff to her face and smelling the little boy Toby that she remembered. She hugged the bear tightly as a tear trickled down her face. She didn't know if it was possible to ever see that boy again, but the least she could do was remind him of that little boy he once was.

She brushed the tear away with determination and stepped to her bedside table. There, next to the music box that she treasured so much, the gift from her mother that inexplicably connected her to Jareth, was the little red bound book. She brushed her fingertips across the gold embossed title, _Labyrinth_. She picked it up quickly and smiled at the worn pages and soft feel of the old leather.

Jareth watched is silence as she stared at it with determination. He waited for her to find whatever it was she had been looking for. He had no idea what she could possibly need from the Aboveground to defeat the most powerful witch of the Underground. To his surprise she turned happily and announced that she was ready to leave.

He glanced skeptically at the bear and the book. "Is that all?"

"This is everything. This is exactly what I need," she said with confidence. Jareth held her tightly and they spun through the mid afternoon air.

They returned to the nighttime of the Goblin kingdom and began to walk toward their room.

Jareth cleared his throat a few times, "I beg your pardon, but what exactly is a worn-out bear and an old book going to do to save Toby?"

They entered the room and Sarah simply handed him the book, spun into a white nightdress, and flopped into bed with Lancelot tucked under one arm. "The bear is from Toby and my childhood. And the book is why we are here."

Jareth barely heard her. He had read the title on the book and quickly opened it. He sat down on the sofa and waved on a light. Within the next few hours, he scoured the book. It began like the book he knew to have escaped to the Aboveground, the story of the girl gone to rescue her brother from the evil king. But it had changed. Whether Sarah had ever noticed or not, he did not know, but as the story progressed it became apparent that the girl and the king had an affinity for one another. He was not surprised when he realized that the names were Sarah and Jareth, nor that the baby brother's name had changed to Toby.

The story had changed into Sarah's story. Once he reached the end, a dreamlike rejection and fall through oblivion, he lowered the book and looked at Sarah. She was asleep on the bed, the bear tucked up under her chin. He looked back down and had a thought.

"I wish I knew what happened next," he whispered into the pages, then closed the book. When he opened it again, it began another story. It began with a lonely girl and the stories of her dreams. He flipped to some part in the middle and scanned it, reading about Andromeda and the grown Toby. He tried flipping to the end, but as long as he flipped the pages, they continued flipping and flipping as if it were some enormous book, though the size never changed. He blinked and stared at it. A magic book.

"I wish I could see the table of contents," he murmured, flipping the book shut and open. There on the first page was a list of four stories under the main title of _Underground_. By the names of their titles, they appeared to be about Amelia Deshvat, Sarah's two adventures, and then a fourth that was entitled "Toby". To the right where the page number should have been was a phrase. He read Toby's aloud: "I wish to read Toby".

He turned the page and before him was a tale about Toby. He read a background Toby's childhood, leading until the point where Andromeda took him. The rest of the pages behaved the same way as the book called "Sarah's Return" and kept flipping endlessly.

Without thinking he muttered, "I wonder how this book works," and then stopped flipping the pages abruptly as a little note appeared on a page in the book.

Jareth smirked at himself as he read the note:

Dear reader,

This book is not ordinary in any way. It was created by Lord Maaron Devoir as a parting gift to Lord Deshvat Devoir and Amelia Moulin before they depart to the Aboveground. It was designed to record the events of the Underground as witnessed by the reader and record them as a story. It is my hope that my nephew Alrende will one day read these stories and dream of the world to which he belongs. We can always revisit the past with this book, and the present appears when the witness holds it and believes its power, but the future is always a foggy mystery. I offer here my love to Deshvat and Amelia, and offer the dreams of the Underground to Alrende.

Forever yours,

Maaron

Jareth understood what Sarah planned to do, but he did not think she was aware that the book was magical. He set it down and dragged himself sleepily to the bed and collapsed with fatigue.

"Jareth. Jareth! Get up, quickly! I- I don't know what happened. It's gone! Or, changed, or something. What's wrong with it?"

Jareth sat up and mumbled a bit, wiping the sleep from his eyes and running a hand through his puff of hair. "The book?"

"It's different! But it's also the same, what's wrong with it?" she cried frantically, waving the book at him in a panic.

Jareth explained as best he could what he had figured out, the wished to see the author's note. Sarah gasped when she turned the page and found the letter. Jareth directed her to the table of contents and then fell back asleep as she became engrossed in the book.

A few hours later, after the sun had risen, Sarah stood in front of the castle and admired the changes she had already conjured. With spells and crystals she had changed the exterior into soft beige limestone and the floors into large slate tiles. She had already reshaped the garden into the shape of the goblin insignia; a crescent made of fruit trees and the orb a large and deep round pond filled with graceful red and yellow fish of varying sizes. Rocks protruded in different places, giving a warm place to bask and grow greens. Surrounding the pond was a walkway interrupted by an enormous waterfall that fell from the point where the orb and crescent met. Here the path moved down a wide flight of steps and descended behind the waterfall, giving a twenty foot cascade of water.

Sarah was admiring the effect of paving the pathways in all the gardens with warm tan bricks when a beautiful cat leapt from the bushes. It was snow white except for the chocolate Siamese markings. She had never seen a cat around the castle before, and so she approached it cautiously. It was possible it was an enemy in disguise. She pet it lightly and sensed no harm. It purred and rubbed against her legs, twining its tail through them.

"Well hello there, little fellow. Where did you come from?" She picked him up and sat on one of her new benches around the pond. She pet it fondly for a minute or two, then gazed up at the castle. "I think we should try white marble for the floors up there. It will be too dark with the slate. Don't you think, kitty?" It purred more heartily and nudged her hand with his head. She scratched his ears, which had little peaks of fur at the tops making owlish tufts.

Sarah floated a complicated crystal over to the slate stairs that led to the garden pathways and watched it burst and feather the white marble over the grounds. In the distance a few goblins made shrill noises and she could only imagine that the floor had successfully changed.

With a pensive flick, she changed the brick walkways into grass. She nodded with satisfaction. "Alright, that's enough of a break. I want to reshape the gates before I go in to meet Jareth for breakfast."

The cat followed Sarah as she made her way to the castle gate. She conjured a number of crystals and tossed them this way and that until she had the contents specifically the way she desired. She rolled three of them into the gate and watched it change from an immense and foreboding wooden structure into limestone pillars at the top of a flight of broad marble steps. The third crystal shattered and water began to flow down the steps on either side, carving a geometric basin that reminded Sarah vaguely of a salmon ladder.

"Well, I think that looks nice. The castle will still be so big that it will appear menacing to anyone who reaches the castle form the Labyrinth. She turned and smiled with a bit of pride at the new reshaping of the exterior of the castle. The rooms were bound to be in odd disarray, but the goblins were prepared to help with the interior redecoration. The castle now bore a far more geometrical shape, very similar to the styles Sarah had seen at the Faerie Court.

"I think that's enough for now. Come on, little kitty, I'll carry you for a while. We have a long walk to get to the dining hall and I'm not sure I can travel by crystal with you." She bent and lifted him so she could look at his face. "You have lovely blue eyes. Just like-" she stopped and frowned a bit, turning the cat's face into the sun so she could get a better look. He blinked a bit, but not enough to conceal the unusual pupils of the Goblin King. "Jareth!"

She felt him twist in her hands as he morphed into her fiancée. She glared at him, unsure whether to be amused or irritated that he had been spying on her. He was laughing his teasing laugh, which made her cheeks grow red with embarrassment.

"That was entertaining. 'Little kitty', am I?" He took her arm, still laughing at his little trick, and walked with her through the new garden up to the castle. "Oh come now, don't be mad. I was curious about what you had been up to this morning, so I thought I'd surprise you."

"Well you know what they say, 'curiosity killed the cat'." She fumed along, mentally kicking herself for not noticing the eyes sooner.

"I'm not sure I trust anything that 'they' say. Unless you define who and when 'they' said such a thing, I'm not going to feel threatened. All the same, I do hope you don't plan on killing me."

Sarah couldn't help but laugh at his unwavering logic. "No, I don't. I didn't know you could become any other animals."

Jareth cast a sideways smile, "I suppose you-"

"-took it for granted. I know; it's a habit."

"The new design looks fantastic. I agree with you- that the castle still appears oppressive, especially to someone as distraught as one who has run the Labyrinth." He chucked a crystal into the air and they reappeared by the breakfast that was awaiting them. Sarah gave him a sarcastic look that said she thought he was being lazy. "I was hungry," he explained sheepishly.

Sarah sat down and pushed her plate to one side, leaning on the table with crossed arms. "The book."

Jareth mimicked her pose, "What book?"

"You know which book," she scowled.

"What about it?" his brows furrowed at the direction the conversation was taking.

"I need to deliver it to Toby. He must read it. If he reads it, I am sure that he will remember. I want to take him Lancelot too. Lancelot and the book."

Jareth nodded, musing on the plan. "Very clever. Well, we can't just deliver it to him; Andromeda would likely destroy it. We could fly there and catch him alone, but there is always the chance that he will tell Andromeda of the book before giving it a chance."

She nodded slowly, "I think that is the best way though. I doubt he would say anything once he saw Lancelot. Let's leave after breakfast."

Jareth was surprised at the abrupt decision making, but figured that it was Sarah's affair and that he would let her confront it in the manner she thought best.

They ate quickly and moved onto the terrace for their flight. Sarah stuffed the bear and book into the pockets of her olive colored cloak and stepped toward the battlement. She took a deep and steadying breath and transformed into the little swift. Jareth was already soaring toward the horizon, sailing in graceful arcs through the air.

They soared over the land for an hour, the light on the lakes and rivers dazzling their eyes. It was a glorious and sunny day, a good omen. Just as Sarah began to feel fatigue in her wings, she spotted a towering castle set into the distant mountainside. Once they were within a hundred meters of the tallest parapet Jareth veered to a shady and obscured spot and landed. Sarah perched beside and watched him transform back into his human shape. She followed his lead and soon stood next to him, surveying the castle.

She reached into the folds of her cloak and checked that she still had her items, then turned to look out over the land of Camelot. She noticed other smaller castles within sight and figured she must be in some district of nobility. She placed her hands on the stone to lean forward over the battlement, then froze suddenly, her eyes closed.

Sarah felt more than saw the memory of her brother leaning over the same battlement. He was grown, nearly as tall as when she had seen him last. Her mind snapped through the halls and down staircases to a bedroom in this wing of the castle. He was there, stretched out across his bed, playing absentmindedly with a dagger.

Her eyes snapped open. "I know where he is," she murmured under her breath.

"I thought you might be able to tell. Lead the way, but be cautious. We don't want to be seen, even as birds." Jareth and Sarah transformed back into their winged disguises and Sarah flew down to the window of the great bedroom. Toby looked startled as the two birds landed on the balcony.

Sarah grew into her normal shape and immediately whipped out Lancelot. Toby was about to yell something, but instead his jaw hung open in confusion. He quietly set down the dagger and stood up, his eyes focused on the worn bear.

Sarah stepped forward, offering it to him. He eyed her warily and then took it. He examined it carelessly, as though he didn't care what it was, but Sarah noticed him hold the ear the way he used to as the young Toby.

"What's this?" he scowled. "Why are you here?"

"I brought this for you to remember. And this," she pulled the book out and held it to him. He moved as if to take it, then stopped abruptly, trying to make it look like a normal gesture of indifference. Sarah simply set the book on his bed and stepped a little closer to him. Jareth remained in the background as an owl, his head jerking about, senses on alert for the witch.

"What makes you think I'm interested in a bear and a book?" he flung Lancelot onto the bed and sidestepped toward the door.

"Because they will help you remember the Toby that you really are," Sarah made to put her hand on his shoulder, but he hit it away.

"My name is Galahan-" he started angrily, but his eyes flickered with something like reminiscence.

"No, your name is Toby, and you will understand once you have read the book."

Toby looked dumbfounded. Sarah gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I love you Toby," she whispered, then quickly transformed back into the swift and darted out the window. Jareth followed. She chanced a glance back and saw him staring after them, the book now in his hands.

Jareth guided them down to a clearing once they were away from the castle. They transformed and then returned to the castle through crystals.

Sarah looked pleased with herself and began walking toward the front of the castle again. "I think I can finish the exterior of the castle today. Care to join me?"

"How do you know he won't tell Andromeda that we were there?" Jareth followed.

"I just do. I guess it's a sister-brother thing."

Jareth shook his head in wonderment and trotted ahead to keep up with his fiancée.


	14. Tacky, Wacky, and Wise

**Chapter Fourteen**

**Tacky, Wacky, and Wise**

"I think brown. Brown will look nice. It's simple," Sarah called over to Jareth, who was standing on the other side of the throne room. She rolled a crystal around in her hands and looked at the vast canvas of walls. "It wont be a big change but I think it will work."

"Are you sure? Brown is alright?" Jareth had felt completely out of his realm once Sarah began the decorating process. He always thought he had decent taste, but now he realized how much the castle had needed updating. Sarah was doing well with the redecorating, but he just could not understand how she was so artistic. It came naturally.

Sarah rolled the crystal in silence for a bit, then shattered it in her hand and tossed the silvery dust onto the wall, changing it to a warm earthy brown. The floors were now slate but she had not touched the throne. She studied the effect that the new walls had, then nodded, "I like it. But we need more sunlight." With a wave of her hand, the windows across from the throne stretched to cavernous heights and the fading sunlight streamed across the floor to their feet.

"Perfect," they said in unison. Sarah tossed some crystals into the pit at the foot of the throne and a number of poufs and a large area rug appeared, making a more comfortable environment for the goblins and wish-aways.

Jareth walked alongside Sarah and admired her handiwork. The entire castle now looked much more modern without being too abstract. The hues were soft and the structures comfortably shaped. They passed through the new courtyard and paused to watch the sun sinking over the horizon.

"Sarah, have you given any thought to the ball?" He turned to face her, the orange glow illuminating her face and turning her eyes into pools of black.

"I have. I think we should have entertainment out here in the courtyard. Look," she gestured to a raised long dais at the back of the courtyard, "we can have the high table there and have performers from the different kingdoms come to entertain the guests."

Jareth was pleased that she had been thinking of the ceremony while she remodeled. "We will need to think about sending invitations and arranging for the food and entertainment, then. We should have the ceremony just before the hot weather makes the sun unbearable."

They moved inside as the sun dipped beneath the mountains and plunged the air into cool blue twilight. Sarah left Jareth to decide upon the guest list. She wondered if she might be able to bring her father and stepmother to the Underground but thought it might be impossible. As far as she had read, such things were not possible. She had missed them greatly, but found herself too preoccupied with Toby and Jareth to think much about them.

Sarah had no idea who to contact for entertainment, so she also tasked Jareth with the mission. He immediately suggested that she be in charge of decorating for the ball. Later that evening, Sarah had sketched a number of designs and made several long lists pertaining to the decorations. When Jareth walked into the room for bed, she immediately tucked a slip of parchment underneath the others and blushed a sanguine red.

"Can I see the designs?" Jareth bent over her shoulder.

"Yes, go change and then I'll show you." He spun around and was dressed in his usual night attire. "Well, I meant I needed you to walk away," she mumbled.

"Why? What are you hiding?" He asked suspiciously.

"The dress. I don't want you to see it until the ball. In the Aboveground it's supposed to be bad luck if the groom sees the gown before the wedding." He laughed but turned around until she pulled him back. He looked over the plans with further respect of her design talents.

"I think we should use green and gold to reflect upon the Goblin Kingdom. I want things to look natural but still grand. The arrangements will be ferns and gold orchids. All the stone will be white marble." He continued to examine the detail with which everything was planned. She had not missed a thing.

"You have a talent for this."

She gave him a hug around the waist then stood and dressed for bed.

Sarah licked her bottom lip delicately, moistening it. She had just woken up from something untraceable. She tucked her lip between her teeth pensively, then opened her eyes to find Jareth only a few inches from her face. She gave a little scream and jolted, but upon recognizing his mismatched eyes she calmed down a bit.

"Morning. Did you know that when you sleep your eyes twitch? It's interesting to watch. Oh, and your eyes don't seem to close all the way either."

Sarah took a deep breath as he straightened and looked down at her.

"Yeah. Okay. Why were you staring at me while I slept?" she was wide awake now but completely abashed that she had been scrutinized so closely.

"I don't know. You're pretty. It's not unpleasant to look at your face. I rather enjoy it." Jareth gave a slight nod of approval.

Sarah inwardly shrugged but smiled at the compliments. "Yours too, but that was startling. You remind me of my cat Phoenix. He used to do that to me. When we dream our eyes twitch. It's called REM sleep for Rapid Eye Movement."

"Really? That's new. Rapid Eye Movement."

With a great heave Sarah forced herself from the bed. The sky outside was cloudy but warm. She slipped on one of Jareth's outfits, or rather, charmed on. The pants, she had found, were impossible to put on without the aid of a crystal. She found this amusing.

After breakfast, Jareth and Sarah finished the invitations. The date was set two months from then on the Festival of the Sky. Jareth noticed Sarah addressing an invitation to Toby Williams.

"Do you think he will come? Your brother?" he asked with concern.

"I don't know. I think so. I hope he will." She stared at the sealed letter for a moment, then slipped it into the box with the others. With a soft noise of parchment, Jareth placed the rest of his sealed letters into the box as well. He rolled a crystal around and murmured something soft and foreign, then he picked up the box and dumped it out the window. Sarah stared in utter shock for a moment, then saw the letters twirling and shooting off in different directions intently.

"That should cover it. Well, on to plan the entertainment. I will see you around lunch." He strode off down the hall, heels clicking softly.

Sarah remained in solitude gazing out over the horizon, a single invitation flapping idly away. She knew which one it was because of the hesitance with which it traveled. With a sturdy shove, she flung herself from the wall and back down the steps to the courtyard. She couldn't waste her day worrying about her brother. If she had learned one thing since moving to the Underground, it was that worrying was wasted on things which were out of one's control. Toby would read the book, she was sure of that, and whether he understood what it meant was dictated by how far removed he had become form his former self.

The vast library smelled of warm parchment and comfortable chairs. To her left were immense windows that displayed a pernicious view over the edge of a steep precipice. It the feeling of exhilaration that seized her every time she stood by the window that made her continue to savor the view. After scanning down the rocky cliff, the scene changed completely into countless miles of fresh green fields and scattering golden flowers. To the right edges of her vision, she saw the long narrow stone walls of the Labyrinth itself. When she walked further to her left she could angle herself to see a whole wing of the expansive maze. Purple mountains glazed with deep green forests bordered her vision and hinted of the lands over their borders.

She flopped into her favorite large yellow squashy armchair and pulled out a notebook and magic quill. At this point she had drawn and arranged for all of the decorations. Now she had to finish the dress. After an hour in which very few minor details were put onto the paper, Sarah felt herself growing chilly. The sky had clouded over with a steely mass that seemed as though it wanted to rain but couldn't muster the strength. With a solid flick of the wrist she had lit a fire in the expansive fireplace before the chair.

A year ago she never would have pictured this possible. Magic was still new to her, and now she realized how much it had filled in her life. Things were easier, this was true, and it gave her more free time in her day. The trouble was that in a world of Fae life spans and powerful magic, there was too much free time.

Another half an hour passed as Sarah made the final details to her dress. She stood and walked out of the room and headed to a room which she had only just discovered upon beginning the remodeling. It was a large and colorful sewing room staffed by some of the most clever and conniving goblins she had met. The little creatures assured her that whatever the garment, they would do their best to make it exactly as she specified.

"The Miss is back!" cried one of the goblins with joy as she stepped into the cozy room. Sarah looked about but could not see the goblin amidst the hundreds of bolts of colorful fabrics. She had never seen anything so enchanting before- silks of the finest ruby red and saffron, great lengths of patterns and colors hanging from ceilings and wound around lightweight planks. On detailed shelves were threads of emerald and silver, buckets of decorative crystals and powdered gems that were used like glitter. Velvet trays displayed finely shaped moonstones and well-wrought gold pieces.

It was dazzling. Nothing could describe the complete bliss that encompassed the room.

A blue and gold bolt of fabric that was hanging from the ceiling to the table swayed and a smiling little goblin head peeked out from up at the top.

"We thought you might be back soon!" She jumped from the skywalk onto the fabric and slid down lightly to land on the table in front of Sarah. "Have you finished the design?"

"Yes, it took longer than I thought. It means so much to me," she smiled as another goblin slid down the same stretch of fabric and landed with a soft swish next to the other. They had identical sapphire blue orbs of eyes but wore extremely radical and bright clothes. The first goblin wore black and white striped leg warmers, a neon green skirt, and a bright pink tee-shirt with green ribbons sewn in squiggly patterns everywhere. The second goblin had turquoise pants under a yellow jumper and black shirt.

"Let's see it then," the goblin in the jumper said and took the papers which Sarah handed her and looked them over with a giggle. "Ooooh, this will be fun to make!" she squealed. The other goblin grinned happily while scanning the notes and drawings.

"Can you make a pattern for that dress, then?" Sarah asked hopefully.

The two sisters looked at each other as if they pitied Sarah, then looked back, "Who do you think you are working with? We're only the best in the Underground! Tacky-"

"And Wacky," the second sister chimed in, "Seamstresses Extraordinaire! Whatever you come up with, we will find a way to make it."

Sarah smiled and laughed a little. "Can I stay to watch for a while?" she whirled around as Tacky took a flying leap to land on another table covered in instruments of writing and measurement. She began scribbling something so fast that Sarah could have sworn she was blurry.

Wacky hopped over Sarah's shoulder to land next to her sister and began scribbling on another piece of paper. "Of course you can! You can pick out the fabric too." The sisters stepped back and Sarah saw that they had drawn up a plan for the pattern.

It seemed they needed no more than this small rendering for the dress, because as soon as Sarah selected the fabric they began cutting it into unusual shapes in varying sizes. She recognized something of a sleeve, what was clearly part of the skirt, and the bodice. Many other intricate pieces quickly and cleanly fell into the mix on the table. By lunchtime, the dress was almost completely assembled and ready for the embellishments.

Sarah left to eat with Jareth and the excitable sisters promised to work on something else until she returned later that afternoon. Sarah caught a glimpse of four other dresses on dress models in the back of the workshop. A pair of tight looking trousers that Sarah recognized at once lay on another table. His Royal Highness had torn the knee out only the other day when he snagged it on a waspish willow in the garden. Its delicate and graceful branches were apparently somewhat dangerous because when he got too close they whipped him smartly on the knee.

At the end of the day, Sarah was impressed that the dress was already half-finished. The twins worked remarkably fast and enjoyed having Sarah to joke with. They had no end of energy and enthusiasm for their art and loved to play. Tacky showed Sarah how to attach gemstones to the fabric and Wacky offered to give her a crash course in sewing one day when they were not so busy.

"Your dress is first priority as the wedding gown of the future queen," Tacky explained.

"But we can't put off the other dresses and suits just yet. This is the busy time of the season- just before the warm weather strikes," finished Wacky.

Sarah thoroughly enjoyed the company of the sisters and was amazed she had not discovered them sooner. She found that they hardly left their workshop, which was perfectly wonderful in their minds as they loved their work. In addition to their good humor, Sarah was pleased that they were so friendly with her. Even the librarian goblins, who had seen Sarah more than any others, found formalities and polite respect essential when dealing with the future queen. Tacky and Wacky seemed to understand that Sarah enjoyed being treated like a normal person just as much as they enjoyed working from dawn until the wee hours of the morning. It was just the way they were.

The next day they finished the dress and Sarah tried it on. For once in the two glee-filled days of giggling and teasing, the twins fell silent. They scrutinized Sarah carefully, looking for anything that needed adjustments, then stood back in awe to examine the dress. Sarah watched their huge eyes, then glanced in the mirror and admired their work.

"Perfect," they all said at once.

The day of the wedding was only a week away. Sarah had been back to visit Tacky and Wacky but was shooed away one afternoon.

"Why can't I stay here today?" Sarah asked, mocking hurt tones.

"Jareth said that he doesn't want you to see his outfit until the wedding day either. We're working on it today and tomorrow, so you'll just have to find another way to entertain yourself," Wacky chided with a wink.

"Don't worry, we have your dress being stored in your old bedroom so he won't see it." Sarah had explained the tradition of keeping the dress a secret until the wedding day. It would be different down in the Underground, as were most all things, but he wasn't getting even a hint until the morning of the ball. Tacky said that Jareth had asked them to use their own discretion on the style since they knew his fashion better than even he himself did, and they had rendered his outfit in matching fabric and complimenting embellishments.

"You will make quite a pair!" Wacky shrieked happily. Sarah didn't mind their energy. It was a welcome change from the quiet halls of the castle.

Later that same afternoon Sarah found herself sitting anxiously in the chair in the library. The weather had been cloudy and uncertain since that afternoon last week when Sarah had finished the dress plans. She hoped that it would be clear for the wedding, and sat daydreaming while staring out the window.

It wasn't until the figure was within one hundred yards that Sarah realized what she was seeing. A falcon, large and agile, was flying toward the castle. Sarah judged where is was going to perch and sent herself there in a flurry of wind.

The falcon had just begun to transform when she appeared. Within a moment she was facing her brother. They stared at one another for a moment, then he took the book out of his vest. With some hesitation, he handed it back to her. Sarah looked at him inquisitively and he also materialized the Teddy Bear.

"I can't keep these. She'd punish me if she knew I had seen you," he replied to her gaze.

"Did you read it?"

Toby shrugged and gave a little nod.

"What did you think?"

Something in his eyes softened a little, but he refused to look her in the eye. "I'm still thinking about what it said."

Sarah nodded and didn't force any more questions. If there was any trace of little Toby in his new adult body, then he would speak up when he felt ready.

He made a slight movement forward as if to hug her, then seemed to think better of it and just stood there awkwardly. Sarah gave him a quick tight embrace to which he barely responded. She could have sworn something youthful and innocent twinkled in his eye. He glanced up at her uncomfortably and then murmured, "I'd like to attend your wedding. I don't know what I'll tell her, but I'll try to be there," and just as quickly as he arrived, he morphed and took flight. Before he was out of sight, she was sure she saw him swing around to look back. She waved, and then he disappeared. Sarah just stood in the wind that he left behind. And smiled.

As Sarah walked back down to the dining hall to meet Jareth, it began to pour. She tilted her head back and enjoyed the water on her eyelids and cheeks. Once she stepped inside, she cast a crystal that dried her clothes and hair.

"You look pleased," Jareth purred when she strode into the hall.

"Toby read the book," she replied simply.

"And you know this, how?"

Sarah turned to face Jareth with a smile, "And he wants to come to the wedding ball. He was here, Jareth! He came to give me back the book and Lancelot so that Andromeda didn't find them."

Jareth was stunned and impressed. She had been dead on with the book tactic. "Excellent. But he is still," he paused, searching for words, "as he was last?"

"Physically, yes. Mentally, I think he is changing."

They left the subject at that and reviewed the final plans for the ball.


	15. The Ball

**Chapter Fifteen**

**The Ball**

The morning of the ball came bright and warm, tickling gentle breezes swirled in from the east. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the trees were all in bloom. It was a perfect day for a wedding ball.

Sarah flipped the hair away from her face and gazed down into the courtyard where hundreds of Fae were already working to set up buffet tables and last minute decorations. The fountains were shimmering, the floors scrubbed, everything with a surface had been polished. She had been to check on her dress and make sure everything was in order. Now all she had to do was wait until it was time to dress for the ceremony, which was to begin in the gardens at noon.

Sarah had slept in her old bedroom. She was determined not to see Jareth until the ceremony began, in keeping with the Aboveground tradition. That one night away had been a bit restless and discomforting. She hadn't slept alone in a year and it felt cold and lonely without someone to snuggle. It was especially cold the night before because of the clear skies, and she lamented being unable to curl up like a cat along his side.

Jareth spent much of the night tossing and pacing. He knew that he loved Sarah and that she would make an excellent queen, but something was still nagging him. It wasn't so much something that was there, but something that wasn't. He felt like there was a dark spot on the plans for the ball, something he hadn't thought of. He shrugged it off as jitters and tried to sleep.

His dreams had been flooded with animals. He didn't know why, but the animals all seemed frightened. He kept trying to protect them, but there was nothing he could do. The next thing he remembered was that he was crying as all the animals turned away from him. And the tears weren't feeble; he was sobbing. He fell to the floor and sobbed, rocking with grief, until he woke feeling cold and shaky.

He felt something tickling his face and realized that tears were burning streaks down his face. He brushed them off and rubbed his face hard, trying to eliminate the almost painful streaks where the tears had runt heir course. Something was nagging at him, some inner fear that he couldn't quite place. He wanted to talk to Sarah about it but knew that she wanted to uphold the Aboveground tradition.

Sarah, on the other hand, slept through the night. Something was simmering in the back of her mind as she wandered through the back halls of the castle. She caught snippets of her dreams from the night before: A large caged bird, a thick cloud of arrows in the sky that rained down over an empty field. She was in the middle of it all, unharmed, but she felt panic that was out of her control. She felt that she was powerless to stop it.

Sarah attributed this sense of being carried along in the current to represent her slight anxiety about commitment. It wasn't a question of love, Jareth was her soul mate, but she was afraid of letting down the Goblin Kingdom.

She heard heeled boots rounding the corner and quickly darted into the nearest room and flung herself behind a sofa. She giggled nervously under her breath as she heard Jareth pass. It was fun trying to remain hidden from her husband-to-be.

Jareth heard a door slam as he turned the corner. He froze for a moment, then continued down the hall, wary of noises. He passed a room and heard a muffled giggle which he recognized as Sarah at once. With a smile, he shrugged off his anxieties from the dream and continued on to check on his ensemble for the ball.

Sarah heaved a sigh of giddy relief and cautiously rose from her niche. Curiously, she stared around the room. There were sofas and chair everywhere, all facing inward to a low round table. The chairs and lounges all seemed to recline so that whoever used them could look up toward the ceiling. It was a large dome shape, set at least fifteen feet above, but she couldn't see the edges of the dome. They seemed to extend off into some hidden space that wasn't visible from below.

Suddenly she heard a great rustling, distracting her from the reclining chairs. She looked around nervously, then realized that the sound came from the ceiling itself. Above her, moving with agility across the ceiling, was a swarm of birds. They crossed every which way, none colliding or landing anywhere, but rushing across like a swarm of beetles. Sarah sank to the floor and stared, remembering the arrows from her dream.

Just as suddenly as the rushing seemed to start, they all flew out of sight and the air stilled. The wake of the silence was deafening, and for a moment she thought that she had dreamed the whole thing. She blinked several times and just stared open mouthed at the place where she thought she had seen a flock of birds.

She considered getting up and leaving when a bit of color caught her eye. The high domed ceiling was now changing to a rich blue tone. Sarah furrowed her brows as golden-orange fish swam slowly out from beyond vision and moved gracefully across the ceiling. She thought of aquariums and the ocean and the one time she had been scuba diving in high school. It was so gentle and relaxing. Bubbles drifted down from above and she remembered fondly the time when she was saving baby Toby from the Labyrinth and Jareth had sent crystals to take her away to the enchanted ballroom.

Now the ceiling turned green and the last of the fish swam out of sight. Grass sprung up (or down, as the case was) and then flowers followed. All different types of daisies and daffodils grew and blossomed at a rapid speed. Soon they began to wilt and the fading petals fell down and landed around the chairs and in Sarah's lap.

This soon changed to white and a dry snow began to fall. It was cold, but didn't soak anything. The petals faded away as the snow covered it. After a while it disintegrated as the birds flew back into the room.

Sarah watched the cycle twice and then broke her mind from it's hypnotic grace. The birds were scaring her, reminding her of the dream, so she left as soon as the snow began to fall the second time.

She shook the cold flakes from her hair as she left the room and headed to visit Tacky and Wacky, who had offered to help her dress for the ball.

Jareth looked in the mirror one last time, fluffing his hair and straightening the lapels on his jacket. Kade knocked on the door and poked his head in.

"Ready?"

"Yes," Jareth clenched and released his hand, trying to work out the jitters that had crept onto him. "I'm the King of the Goblins. I'm not supposed to get nervous about professing love to the woman I adore."

Kade laughed and patted his shoulder, "Being King of a Kingdom is one thing, but In love? It doesn't compare to anything in this world or hers."

"Marvelous."

"Spectacular."

"Ravishing."

"Exquisite."

"Gorgeous-"

Sarah laughed, "Okay! I get your point! I don't need to fuss over my appearance anymore!" Tacky and Wacky giggled.

Corsicana hugged Sarah lightly, careful not to rumple anything she was wearing. "Let's go.

Hundreds of Fae sat around the circular garden like in an amphitheater. Only a chink was cut out of the crowd where the waterfall fell into the great pond. All eyes were turned toward the small stream that ran back and forth down to the bowl-shaped pond garden. A sudden sparkle of emerald green dust began to swirl and grow, a light wind ruffling the feathers on dresses and in hair. Kade appeared in a hasty puff of glitter before he sat in an empty seat next to Patrick and Kathy.

As the glitter on the center rock dissipated, Jareth appeared. He wore a marine green suit that shimmered with opals and moonstone. The lapels were completely encrusted, jewels spattered on his shoulders and collar, and the hem was bordered and faded into the silk. It was done in a style similar to that of the enchanted ballroom suit, with cream colored tights and his trademark stack-heeled boots, today in a warm forest brown. A cream colored shirt poked out the top, the ruffled ascot tucked neatly in. His hair had some opalescent shimmer to it that drew attention to his unusual eyes. Finishing the ensemble was the royal necklace. He wore no gloves today so that the design covering his right hand was visible to all. His hands were shaking slightly, though no one watching could notice.

The crowd rose and bowed and Jareth bowed back, acknowledging the dignitaries who came to witness the union. Suddenly, Corsicana appeared next to her husband and sat. Everyone's attention was suddenly turned to the path leading to the waterfall. Sarah was just materializing out of the green glitter that settled around her. The women sighed and the men nodded appreciatively at the beauty that was now descending the path toward the top of the waterfall.

Sarah's gown was made of the same marine-green silk and decorated with opals and moonstone. It was a simple and elegant style, strapless and tight fitting on the bodice. Her torso was covered in gems so that she sparkled and gleamed as she stood above the roaring water. Wind caressed the train, which extended a few feet behind her and was hemmed with another collection of gems. The skirt was loose and flowing, causing her waist to look diminutive underneath all the precious stones. Her hair was mostly up and curly with flower shaped hair ornaments tucked in with white orchids. Around her neck was a green choker with the royal insignia of crescent and orb against her throat. As she looked over the crowd, they bowed to her as well, but she didn't even notice. She was smiling, gazing down at Jareth who look stunned and pleased in equal measure.

Jareth came to his senses and waved a set of three crystals toward the water. It froze into shallow steps that textured to keep her from slipping. As soon as she set foot on the rock, the ice melted and quietly trickled back into the pond.

Jareth reached out his right hand and she took it with her right, the designs glowed golden and then light exploded from them, leaving a golden residue over the markings. The audience clapped and the new queen smiled at her king.

They formed a crystal between them, growing from the palms of their hands bigger and bigger, and the golden light from this swirled with energy. First Jareth took it and raised it toward the crowd. They cheered and applauded, and then he passed it to his new wife who raised it as well. This symbolized the power that they now shared as rulers of the kingdom and the peace that remained between their kingdom and the neighboring ones. Together, they lifted the orb and released it to the sky where it shattered like glass and showered everyone with a golden dust.

Once this was over, Jareth and Sarah shared their first kiss as husband and wife. The applause rose up again, but suddenly faded as shouts and cries pierced the joy. Jareth's heart jumped and Sarah felt something sinking in her stomach.

In the sky where the orb had just shattered were dark and ominous storm clouds. An all too familiar raven and a falcon were swooping down toward the stone platform. They landed and in a burst of cold wind transformed into Andromeda and the Galahad-Toby.

"Well, it seems someone forgot to send our invitation," Andromeda hissed as the uproar died down.

"It wasn't forgotten, it was intentionally left out," sneered Jareth. "You have brought us nothing but pain."

Toby shifted uncomfortably, glancing at Sarah. She noticed something about the way he held himself. He wasn't acting like a proud man, as he had before in Andromeda's presence. He now moved from one foot to the other like a boy. She blinked, nearly drowning out the words of the King and witch. Toby was shorter than before too.

"I thought at least for the sake of pleasantries you would invite an old family friend," she simpered.

"You are no longer welcome here, Andromeda. I ask you once, and only once to leave."

"And what about my precious Galahad? Certainly the queen would have wanted to invite her brother dearest. And you wouldn't want to be on bad terms with his future wife, would you?"

At this there was a general murmur of disapproval from the crowd.

Toby looked to her with worry, but she took courage. He was showing signs of the old Toby. "I did invite my brother. But you will never be welcome here, Andromeda, nor will you ever become my sister."

A shadow of worry crossed Andromeda's face, "What? You have sent no invitation to my castle- Galahad would have told me." She looked to Toby, who refused to meet her eye. "Wouldn't you?" she added quietly.

Still he stared at anything but her.

Her temper began to rise, "You mean to tell me that you have communicated with this mortal filth?" This time Toby glared at her.

"Don't you dare call her that. Sarah is my sister. I have every right to communicate with her."

Andromeda struck him across the face, sending him to the ground. Jareth, Kade, Corsicana, and the ambassador of the Seelie all threw crystals toward her that caused her to freeze where she was, incapable of moving.

Sarah kneeled by her brother, who looked into her eyes.

"I made it," he said quietly with a little laugh. He looked younger still, nearly the height he should have been and with a rounder face and higher voice.

Sarah smirked a little, but took him firmly by the shoulders. "You have to separate your soul from hers."

"I don't know how," he whispered, tears at the corners of his eyes. "I tried, but I don't know how."

Jareth had joined the two of them and he placed a hand on Toby's shoulder. "Feel yourself detach from her. Abolish any feelings of compassion toward her- forget her."

Toby closed his eyes. The spells holding Andromeda loosened a little and her arm twitched as she spat, "I raised you. I made you a man, I made you what you are, I promised you power and gave you nice things. How can you bring yourself to hate me when I have given you everything you could ever hope for?"

Toby stood and faced her. "You didn't raise me. I have a mother and father, and a sister who cared for me. It was _you_ who kidnapped me, and _you_ who took me away from everything that I loved. I don't hate you, no. Hate isn't strong enough. Hate has just as much passion as love. What I feel for you is worse; I feel indifference. You are nothing to me, and I am going to forget you and never look back."

He turned around, and so did Sarah and Jareth. They walked together, Toby shrinking to his old height, the freckles appearing one by one on his face. He reached over and took Sarah's hand as they walked over an ice bridge and into the audience, who turned as one and walked up toward the courtyard.

Andromeda, the freezing crystals wearing off, began to shriek, "I gave you everything! Look how you are repaying me! You can't do this!"

Jareth put an arm around Toby's shoulders.

"What are you doing? You can't just forget me!" she slipped to the ground.

But no one heard her. Patrick and Kathy had rushed over to hug Sarah and Jareth, Corsicana and Kade beaming at their new children. The love and happiness that surrounded the Fae court overwhelmed the atmosphere as everyone offered works of kindness and respect to the new King and Queen. They ascended the steps, the royal couple leading the way, and soon music filled the air and faerie dancers twirled on raised stages. Toby, Patrick, and Kathy ran off to sample the buffets and watch the performers.

Andromeda sat alone on the cold stone amidst the pond, watching the celebration begin from a distance. She stared and stared, but then finally turned back into a raven and flew off into the sunshine, never to show her face again.


	16. EpilogueAuthor's Notes

**Epilogue**

Toby ran down the hall and into the throne room. After the wedding, he had come to live in the Castle beyond the Goblin City and spent the past year enjoying the mysteries of the castle and playing with Patrick and Kathy, whom he had taken to calling his cousins because he certainly didn't feel like an uncle to them.

His appearance had never quite shifted back into the nine-year old he had been, but he did slip back into looking thirteen instead of in his twenties. None of them ever mentioned Andromeda again, and she did not ever leave her castle again. In general, everyone seemed to think of her as something long since passed, like a bad hair day or a broken bone.

Sarah sat in the window of the throne room reading a book, Jareth just stood staring out over the kingdom and stroking Sarah's hair. The markings on their hand were strong as ever, and still shimmered gold dust from their one year anniversary party that had been held last week.

Toby skidded to a halt in front of the couple, who looked to him with a faint smile. "Jareth, could you transport me over to Pat and Kathy's? We were going to build more on our tree fort."

Jareth laughed, "Sure. You've been working so much on that fort it's a wonder it isn't bigger than the castle already."

"Well, it would be, probably, but we aren't using much magic. It's more fun that way."

Sarah sat up a bit and her senses seemed to draw inward. Jareth jumped to her side, concerned.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes. Your son just kicked me," she rubbed her hand over her rounding belly and showed Toby where to put his hand.

"I can feel it too!"

"My son, is it? How do you know it's a boy?" Jareth teased, placing his hand where Toby's had just been.

"I just do. It's a motherly intuition. And he has your eyes." She smiled up at her husband, who brushed her hair from her face tenderly.

"Jareth, can we go now? I promised them I'd get there in time for lunch. I'm going to show them how to cook macaroni and cheese."

Jareth kissed his wife goodbye and disappeared with Toby.

Sarah sat alone and reveled in the glory of the afternoon. She had asked for anything this wonderful, and yet it was all there. She smiled and rubbed her stomach affectionately. Yes, at that moment she had everything she'd been wishing for.

Author's notes:

Thank you so much to all of my readers! It made me feel like I was doing something worthwhile everytime I got a review. It was fun to write, a bit time consuming, but fun. I learned some things that I'll share just in case you care:

1) Outline the main plot ahead of time. Include important details and maybe suggestions for some plot filler.

2) Find a good editor (aka a friend with writiing skills and a helpful muse)

3) Keep snacks handy.

I picked up some new writing skills from this, and the more I wrote the more I wanted to become an author. As of right now, a 17 year old, I know I am not ready for it, but maybe someday I will write something awesome that a publisher fawns over.

I've decided to dedicate this story to my cousins and brother, who have been my loyal fans and always a willing ear. I appreciate the encouraging words! And they also kept me on the ball. I probably wouldn't have gotten the chapters up when I did if my cousins wern't pestering me.

Once again, thanks for reading.

-Robin


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